General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThousands of Young People Are About to Lose Their Food Stamp Benefits
Now some of the consequences of those cuts are coming into effect: By some estimates, upward of a million Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 are set to lose their food stamps in 2016.
The people who are bearing the brunt of the budget cuts are known as ABAWDs: able-bodied adults without dependents. If you're young, childless, and rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefitsmore commonly known as food stampsyou're probably an ABAWD.
The category was created in 1996; the idea is that young people who don't have to worry about children or disabilities shouldn't need government assistance to survive. Generally, these Americans aren't allowed to be on SNAP for more than three months in three years, but when the economy collapsed in 2008, this restriction fell by the wayside. But now that the economy is doing better by some metrics (even if more Americans are living in poverty now than in 2008), the government evidently thinks that these individuals should be working 20 hours a week, and if they're not, they need to be trying harder to find a job.
Snip
http://www.vice.com/read/thousands-of-young-people-are-about-to-lose-their-food-stamp-benefits
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)Skittles
(153,104 posts)Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)all is good.
Some people are just gonna starve or die from lack of access to healthcare, right? What is the big deal?
You dont know anybody personally who will suffer, so why do you care?
LiberalArkie
(15,703 posts)WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)Viva_La_Revolution
(28,791 posts)And i agree with it. There are exceptions and even non profit work counts. I keep house and take care of my dad in exchange for my rent. Those hours count too. School, training, etc. You have to be doing absolutely nothing to get cut off.
This was part of the clintons welfare reform anyway, not Obama's fault.
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)When there is nothing to be done, what is one to do?
What if you do not have an invalid father?
Ilsa
(61,688 posts)host an ABAWD volunteer. Not every volunteer has access to public or private transportation.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)Reid and other so called Democratic Leadership people has some cock-a-maimey idea of regaining the Senate and there by fixing this bill. And we know how that turned out don't we. And the Rethugs just cut off Grannies legs again. Most of the people effected by this bill are Widowed White People and Challenged Persons. When the Legislation calls for Able Bodied Persons,well that is subjective,and some Red States are already planning on using their own definition.
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)I am waiting on ssdi. without food stamps I won't even be able to eat. Do states have the ability to over ride it?