Time limit on food assistance puts 15,000 Marylanders at risk of going hungry

This month more than 15,000 Marylanders who are already struggling to get by will begin to lose a vital resource that helps them get enough to eat every day.

Due to a needlessly restrictive federal time limit, many Marylanders between ages 18 and 49 who are not caring for children will no longer be able to receive food assistance. Many of those who will be affected are homeless, veterans, and part-time workers. Under a federal law enacted in the 1990s, people who fall into this category are eligible to receive nutrition assistance only for three months during a three-year period unless they are working or enrolled in  job training m – circumstances that are often out of their control.

Following the massive job losses during the Great Recession, many states – including Maryland – chose to suspend the time limit to help ensure people would not have to go without food. Now that the economy is slowly recovering, states are losing the ability to waive the requirement, yet finding a job is still incredibly difficult for many people.

Maryland’s statewide waiver for time limits expired at the end of 2015. While some counties have been able to implement local waivers, people in other parts of the state who aren’t able to find a job quickly will lose the assistance they have been relying on to afford enough to eat.  People in 13 counties will now begin to lose this support after receiving food assistance for three months: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Frederick, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Saint Mary’s, Talbot, and Washington counties.

Most of the people who will lose their benefits do not qualify for other forms of assistance to help them get enough to eat or make ends meet. Many have a harder time finding work due to limited education and skills, or learning disabilities. Others can only find part-time employment. Some might be unable to take on work because they are caring for elderly or sick relatives. A surge this month in Marylanders who now must rely on assistance from community organizations – or else go hungry —   will put additional pressure on food banks, which are already short on resources.

For working-age adults without children to receive food assistance beyond the three-month limit, they have to be involved with a combination of volunteering, work-search activities, employment, job training, or school for 20 hours a week or more. However, people can still lose their assistance even if there are no job training or placement programs available in their communities. Some of those affected are already working but are unable to get enough hours to reach the 20-hour minimum. Cutting off food assistance to people caught in these situations does not make it easier for them to find a job. It simply means that more people will go hungry.

There is some positive news in Maryland. State agencies here have done a thorough job of helping 11 out of 24 counties apply for waivers so anyone needing assistance can get it. The state is also making use of resources like the SNAP Employment and Training program to help people gain skills in order to find sustainable employment, while also ensuring they continue to have the assistance they need to afford food.

Despite the state’s efforts, people will still slip through the cracks because of an arbitrarily short federal time limit.

For those interested in learning more about this issue, Maryland Hunger Solutions is hosting a webinar April 12. Details are available on their website.