Maryland, DC urge SNAP recipients to update their eligibility under new work requirements
Starting this month, up to 80,000 SNAP recipients in Maryland could be affected by changes to work rules under President Donald Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.”
That bill, H.R. 1, changed the eligibility requirements for more adults enrolled in SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Larry Handerhan, assistant director for programs at Maryland’s Department of Human Services, told WTOP the changes will apply to adults ages 50-64, adults ages 18-64 who do not have a child 14 or younger living with them, veterans, people who are homeless and people who have aged out of the foster system.
Handerhan explained that many of the recipients who fall into those categories won’t necessarily lose benefits.
“We think many of them are actually working, or would be able to be exempted for some reason,” Handerhan said.
The new work rules mean those recipients that would have been exempted before November will have to prove they are employed, or that they perform 80 hours of job training or volunteer work each month.
Handerhan said Maryland launched the Maryland Benefits One Application, a way that SNAP recipients can check their status and eligibility.
“It’s mobile-enabled which, of course, makes it easier to use for so many people,” he said.
At the same time, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration has expanded its network of SNAP employment and training partners.
“We went from 30 to 48 organizations just this past year,” Handerhan said. “That’s intended to meet the need that we anticipate from these federal law changes, because we should be supporting folks any way that we can to achieve work outcomes.”
Handerhan also urged recipients to review the dates for recertifying their participation in the program, and ensure that their contact information is up-to-date via MarylandBenefits.gov. He also said that recipients should read any notice received from their local department of social services and, again, make sure their documentation is current.
In the District of Columbia, the District Direct portal is intended to do the same thing: help SNAP recipients check, review and report any changes to their benefits information.