CLEVELAND, Ohio — Starting Sunday, thousands of Cuyahoga County residents who rely on federal food assistance will be required to prove they are working, volunteering or participating in job training programs to keep their benefits.
March is the first month residents must show compliance with the new federal rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which expanded work requirements to able-bodied adults up to age 64 – including veterans, homeless residents, former foster youth and parents of children over age 14.
Recipients must now complete at least 80 hours per month of work activities, which could include a paid job, volunteering, schooling, job training programs or substance use treatment. Those who do not meet the requirement and do not qualify for an exemption will only be eligible for SNAP benefits for three months out of every three years…