NORWICH – Facing obligatory changes in the way it handles employment requirements for people receiving Food Stamps, the Chenango County Department of Social Services is looking for ways to deal with an increased workload created by hundreds of Food Stamp recipients that will be affected.
DSS anticipates 400-500 people in the county who currently receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (or SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) will be affected by a drop in unemployment rates statewide.
Statewide unemployment relates to SNAP in part because federal law stipulates that any person who is able to work and doesn’t have a dependent be restricted to three months of SNAP benefits within a 36-month period. The law (called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, or PRWORA) applies to anyone not working at least 80 hours per month, pursuing education or training activities for at least 80 hours per month, or involved with a workforce program.
However, PRWORA waivers are permitted by the federal government in states where unemployment has been high due a lack of jobs. Since the law was passed in 1996, New York State has been eligible for that waiver.
But this year is different, explained DSS Deputy Commissioner Daniel Auwarter. This year, the state’s unemployment rate has dropped, making it ineligible for another waiver, and the current waiver expires Dec. 31. In Chenango County, this means many of the 7,000-plus SNAP recipients in the county will have to heed federal laws that put tighter restrictions on SNAP benefits starting Jan 1.
“We conducted an analysis of our current SNAP caseload to understand the scope of this change and to start making preparations for the additional workload and case management activities,” said Auwarter. “As of this past July, there are 460 individuals that will be required to conform to the [able-bodied adults without dependents] limits laid out in PRWORA.”
The change creates a possible need for DSS to hire another staffer to help handle the increased workload. Auwarter and DSS Commissioner Bette Osborne made their case before county lawmakers at a meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee earlier this month.
“This is a significant undertaking for our agency, as the monitoring and documentation requirements to keep cases within the act’s limits require a substantial amount of data input, follow-up with clients, and system reporting,” Auwarter said.
In addition, there may be financial implications and sanctions if able-bodied adults without dependents are allowed to exceed their allotted time receiving SNAP. Auwarter said the DSS Employment Unit will be working with such SNAP recipients to facilitate the required work activity placements and other supports required under OTDA programs. Staff in the Income Maintenance division of DSS will be working closely with Employment staff to assure the nuances of the requirement are met.
“This is a mandate in that if we don’t do it and someone gets SNAP benefits who shouldn't have them because they weren't engaged in work activities, then the state will pass off the penalty to the county to pay back that money,” Commissioner Osborne said to Health and Human Services Committee members this month. “It’s not necessarily a mandate; but the state is saying that if we don’t offer these types of service, then our county is on the hook for all the money it costs the federal government.”
The NY Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance requested a continued waiver for those counties in New York with an unemployment rate that exceeds the national rate by at least 20 percent for a recent 24 month period; however OTDA’s review revealed that Chenango County does not fall within that range and therefore must now conform to certain requirements stipulated in PRWORA.