Government

SNAP Changes End Exemptions for Homeless, Veterans Under Federal Mandate

Unhoused residents of the Virgin Islands will have to meet work requirements in order to continue receiving uninterrupted benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.  During Friday’s meeting of the Continuum of Care Council on Homelessness, representatives from the Department of Human Services reminded participants that new regulations governing SNAP eligibility have gone into effect in the territory as of November last year.  People who are considered able-bodied adults without dependents are only able to receive three months of SNAP benefits within a 36-month period, unless they perform 80 hours a month of some kind of productive activity, whether volunteering or doing paid work. This change impacts a significant section of the Virgin Islands population, DHS representatives noted.  Previously, homeless people, veterans, and those 24 or younger who were in foster care at age 18 were exempt from these requirements. However, passage of the Big, Beautiful Bill last s...