New federal SNAP rule changes expand work requirements and documentation rules, which the Maryland Food Bank says will increase demand for its services.
New changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program take effect Sunday and could impact up to 80,000 Marylanders, according to the Maryland Food Bank.
New federal SNAP changes take effect Sunday and could impact up to 80,000 Marylanders
The changes expand work requirements and documentation rules. The federal government says the goal is to encourage people to get jobs rather than stay on government assistance.
The Maryland Food Bank's president says the changes mean more people will need their services to make ends meet and that the changes will also hurt businesses throughout the state.
Meg Kimmel, president and CEO of the Maryland Food Bank, said:
"SNAP dollars are spent at food retailers, so community stores in your neighborhood, grocery stores, convenience stores, they all accept SNAP dollars. And so when the SNAP program contracts, local economy, the local economy is also impacted."
Kimmel added the changes mean the food bank will need more volunteers and more donations.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
