Fewer receive food stamps as states change rules
As more states require adults to work or get job training in order to receive food stamps, the number of people receiving the benefits is falling at an unprecedented rate, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The number of people receiving food stamps fell by about 773,000 in April alone, in part because 22 states changed their rules in January for adults receiving food stamps. The states reinstated work requirements for able-bodied adults under 50, giving them three months — or until April — to find work or take part in job training or an education program in order to continue to receive benefits. Sometimes those changes were made in response to federal requirements. In other instances, governors chose to make the changes on their own.
