Congress Wants to Force Older People and Single Moms to Work. Here's How You Can Stop It.

Inside the sinister plan.

Appetizer. June 3, 2023 is the day that President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) into law. It was the snowflake that triggered the avalanche. Buried in the FRA was something sinister: a work requirement. This was not a work requirement akin to your parents saying you need to start paying rent when you’re 16 or else you’re getting evicted. A work requirement in these federal programs forces you to take whatever job you can for you to continue receiving benefits. In this case, the work requirement was regarding the federal program that helps people put food on the table - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If an able-bodied person without any dependents is unable to find work within three months, they cannot receive SNAP benefits. Yup, that’s right. In the richest nation in world history, we have a time limit for how long you can get food. This is why these are also known as time limits. This particular time limit was quite cruel - it expanded the upper age it applied to from 49 to 54.¹

As devastating a blow as this was, the light at the end of the tunnel was a clause in the FRA that would end that age increase on October 1, 2030 so that it returns to 49. But for everyone who knows how Republicans operate, opening a door to expanding time limits means the door will never close again…

Entree. Before we dive into this, I’m happy to answer the questions racing through your mind.

Q: They want to force older people to work?

A: Yes.

Q: In an economy that is hard for that age group?

A: Yup.

Q: And they put that under an act titled “Fiscal Responsibility”?

A: Yeah.

Q: So we should expect to continue seeing older people working in minimum wage, manual labor jobs just so they can get a few extra bucks a month to put food on the table?

A: It’s horrible.

Now take a breath because here’s how it will get worse unless we flood Congress with calls this week.

There are now proposals to expand that time limit even further—from 54 to 56—and to subject parents with children over 7 to it as well.

Parents

We touched on how difficult it is for older adults to work in this economy. It’s also hard for parents with children to work.

Sure, one could say “The kid is in school from 9 to 3, that’s plenty of time to work a job.”

• Where can a single mom work a living wage job that provides her with that kind of flexible schedule and paid sick leave because kids are sick all the time?

One could reply, “She can pay for after-school child care so she can work full-time.”

• After-school child care can cost anywhere between several hundred dollars a month to several hundred dollars a week. Where is that money coming from? Even if she is making $20/hour and able to secure 4 hours a day, that comes out to $1600/month. After rent, child care, and other costs of living, there would be less than no money left. So she’s spending all this time and money to help the government be “fiscally responsible” when really she’s simply wearing herself out and spending less time with her children.

Let’s not forget why they’re putting these cuts into the program. It’s so that they can fund tax cuts to the richest people in history.

Just Desserts. We need to do better, and we can. Congress is looking to get the ball rolling on these time limits this week. Call your Senator and Representative and let your voice be heard that there can be no new time limits. Most of the people who can work while receiving SNAP are already working. The vast majority of SNAP recipients are children, people over 60, and people with disabilities. Here’s how to go from enraged to engaged:

Senate

1. Dial 202-224-3121.

2. If you do not know the name of your Congress Member, say, “I’m not sure.”

3. Say, “Senator.”

4. Say your state or zip code.

5. Pick which Senator you want to speak with (and then repeat this process with the second one).

6. When connected with the office, you can leave a message with the staffer who answers or ask to be connected to the staffer who works on SNAP.

7. Sample script: “Hi, my name is [your name], and I am a constituent. I would like the Senator to know that I am concerned and troubled about the proposed time limit increases to SNAP. Increasing the time limit to those who are 56 years old and parents of children over 7 is wrong. Grocery prices and hunger are increasing in the country and these measures would result in older adults and young families to go hungry. I want my Senator to speak out and vote against any such measures added to SNAP.”

8. Repeat the process and for step 3 and in step 7, say “Senator”.

9. Report in the comments how it went.

House

1. Dial 202-224-3121.

2. If you do not know the name of your Congress Member, say, “I’m not sure.”

3. Say, “Representative.”

4. Say your zip code.

5. Confirm the Representative.

6. When connected with the office, you can leave a message with the staffer who answers or ask to be connected to the staffer who works on SNAP.

7. Sample script: “Hi, my name is [your name], and I am a constituent. I would like the Representative to know that I am concerned and troubled about the proposed time limit increases to SNAP. Increasing the time limit to those who are 56 years old and parents of children over 7 is wrong. Grocery prices and hunger are increasing in the country and these measures would result in older adults and young families to go hungry. I want my Representative to speak out and vote against any such measures added to SNAP.”

8. Report in the comments how it went.

1

(I) fiscal year 2023 over 51 years of age;
(II) fiscal year 2024 over 53 years of age;
(III) fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year 
thereafter over 55 years of age. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3746/text