The USDA initially estimated that up to 750,000 individuals would be dropped from SNAP if the proposal took effect. ADBut states have been able to waive this time limit to ensure access to food stamps during the ups and downs of reentering the workforce. Before this rule, counties with an unemployment rate as low as 2.5 percent were included in waived areas. In 2000, the unemployment rate was 4 percent and the number of Americans receiving SNAP benefits was just over 17 million. In 2019, during the longest economic expansion in history, the number of Americans receiving SNAP is over 36 million.

Source: Washington Post December 04, 2019 14:39 UTC