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USDA Rule Could Affect Food Stamp Eligibility for 3 Million

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed tightening
   automatic eligibility requirements for the food stamp program, a change
   that could affect about 3.1 million people.

   The Agriculture Department said the rule would close "a loophole" that
   enables people receiving only minimal benefits from the Temporary
   Assistance for Needy Families program to be eligible automatically for
   food stamps.

   "For too long, this loophole has been used to effectively bypass
   important eligibility guidelines. Too often, states have misused this
   flexibility without restraint," Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said
   in a statement.

   Under current law, states may confer eligibility for food stamps,
   officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or
   SNAP, if they meet income and other requirements for TANF. USDA says 43
   states have expanded that to include households that the agency says
   "barely participate in TANF.

   USDA said this has resulted in people receiving food stamps who don't
   need it and wouldn't qualify under regular program rules. It estimates
   that in 2020, 3.1 million food stamp recipients, or 8% of the total
   could be affected.

   Under the proposal, to qualify for automatic eligibility, people would
   have to get at least $50 a month in benefits from TANF for a minimum of
   six months.

   Perdue said the change is necessary for "preventing abuse of a critical
   safety net system."

   The rule is open for public comment for 60 days.