Though a federal welfare law that went into effect in January could see up to 450 people in Franklin County lose their food assistance benefits unless they’re able to meet work requirements, the federal Department of Agriculture this week gave them some good news.
The department has selected Massachusetts as one of 10 states to participate in its “SNAP to Skills” program, which will help state agencies figure out how federal aid can best be used to get residents on the Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program into the work force or into job training programs.
Statewide, about 22,000 people fall into the “able-bodied adults aged 18 to 49 without dependents at home” category and would be affected by the change, according to Tom Mills, a spokesman for the state Department of Transitional Assistance, which administers SNAP.
If they can’t find work, enter a job training program or find a volunteer position within three months of receiving SNAP benefits, they’ll be cut off. Some areas of the state are exempt due to their high unemployment rates, but most of Franklin and Hampshire counties will be affected.
If successful, the USDA program could help those people find those opportunities and comply with the regulations to retain their benefits.
The USDA program will last about two years, according to a press release from the department. The 10 states chosen were selected for their “commitment and interest in expanding the SNAP (Employment and Training) program, their ability to build effective partnerships with local training providers, and the availability of strong, job-driven workforce development programs in the state,” the release read.
“SNAP E&T can help unemployed workers get back on their feet and can offer workers in low-wage jobs additional skills training to advance in their careers,” the release continued.
The program will be based on a program the Seattle Jobs Initiative, a Washington State-based job training program for low-income citizens, launched in 2015 to develop “intensive technical assistance” programs for other states.
The USDA noted SNAP currently provides benefits to more than 46 million people nationwide, about half of which are children. Nine percent are seniors, and 40 percent of served households have some sort of income.
In Massachusetts, DTA figures show 786,705 people in 452,734 households currently receive SNAP — about 11 percent of the state’s population.