Some D.C. residents will now have to prove they are working or volunteering in order to qualify for assistance with groceries — a federally-imposed change that attorneys for the city’s poorest residents worry will increase hunger over the coming months and years.
The work requirements, which are gradually going into effect across the country, apply to adults who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and don’t otherwise qualify for exemptions, like having young children or having a disability. A new law requires them to prove that they are working at least 20 hours a week, or participating in an approved training program or volunteer program for a certain number of hours a month.
Officials with D.C.’s Department of Human Services say about 18,000 residents could have their SNAP eligibility affected by the change, which took effect locally Monday.
But critics warn that the new requirements could affect a larger percentage of the 133,000 city residents who receive SNAP, because some may mistakenly think they are no longer eligible for the benefits.
“One thing we’re deeply concerned about is that there will be people who are eligible for these benefits who will fall through the cracks,” said Jessica Berger, a supervising attorney with Legal Aid DC who helps people navigate public benefits. “What the research tells us is that people who are the most vulnerable and have the most barriers end up falling off the rolls.”
Nationally, the effects of the changes could be significant. The Congressional Budget Office last year estimated that, on average, about 3.2 million people could fall off the SNAP benefit rolls each month if the new work requirements went into effect.
In D.C., the rollout will be gradual, and officials emphasize that no one would lose benefits right away. Instead, the work requirements take effect whenever a SNAP recipient is next scheduled to recertify their eligibility with the city. In some cases, recertification is required every six months, while other households are assigned longer intervals.
Department of Human Services Director Rachel Pierre said in an interview that the agency had been reaching out to SNAP recipients to alert them to the change, and vowed that the city would help residents maintain benefits whenever possible amid the new requirements.
“When a family or an individual is experiencing either food insecurity or economic insecurity, our job is to make sure that we can get connected to the services and resources that they are eligible for,” said Pierre, who acknowledged that she was worried that people would choose not to recertify or fall out of compliance and lose their benefits.
Berger said the city’s communication should be more clear and tailored. She said sweeping messaging about work requirements could lead residents who are eligible for exemptions to think that they are no longer eligible for SNAP. Pierre, however, said the city can only determine who qualifies for an exemption once they apply or recertify for the benefits.
Berger said Legal Aid has already heard from clients who are confused about the changes. One client who recently called about an unrelated issue then mentioned offhand that they would be losing their SNAP benefits. But the person was actually exempt, Berger said, because they have children under 14.
In D.C., the new work requirements will increase administrative responsibilities on an agency that already struggles in some cases to respond to a high demand for food assistance. The city in 2024 faced a $4.4 million penalty from the federal government because it was too frequently overpaying or underpaying benefits to SNAP recipients.
Pierre said the agency has been updating its systems and training its staff for months to prepare for the new rules.
In addition to creating additional challenges for city government, Berger argued the changes were rooted in misconceptions about the poor.
“Most SNAP households are working,” she said. “So the idea that people are not working and must work for these benefits is based in stereotypes about people who need public assistance.“
The city has been working to put together volunteer opportunities at local nonprofits — which Pierre said will offer at least 1,600 slots for residents who are interested in participating to help meet SNAP requirements.
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