Food assistance for Kentucky veterans at risk under new SNAP changes
By Nadia Ramlagan
The Trump administration’s changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, mean that most Kentucky veterans will have to prove they are working, looking for work, or volunteering to keep their benefits next year.
Many of the state’s veterans are experiencing homelessness or a lack of stable of housing, can’t make ends meet, and are struggling with mental health issues.
Jessica Klein, policy associate with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, said even people without those challenges have a hard time navigating the paperwork and red tape involved in submitting work hours.
“When people have to do this additional paperwork on a monthly basis,” Klein said, “what that does is really make it harder to keep those benefits over time.”
Proof of working 80 hours a month or participating in job training will be required to continue receiving SNAP assistance beyond three months.
A 2021 study by the Military Family Advisory Network found that one in five military and veteran families were food insecure. Nationwide, more than 1 million low-income veterans rely on SNAP to feed their households.
Kentucky has previously requested waivers from work requirements in counties with high unemployment or insufficient jobs, but Klein explained that even those regions may be required to prove residents are working.
“The state is going to lose some of the waivers we have for economically distressed areas,” Klein said. “Previously, 117 of our counties were eligible for that waiver.”
The Congressional Budget Office estimates around 3 million people nationwide will be dropped from the program due to new work requirements.