Lawson, Soto ask Scott to extend time limits on SNAP benefits due to hurricane devastation

Damage to a Florida Keys neighborhood caused by Hurricane Irma

U.S. Representatives Al Lawson and Darren Soto, members of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, recently sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott asking his administration to extend the temporary lift of time limits placed on the benefits of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. They said this should be done due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma on Florida’s economy and the most vulnerable of constituents.

Without the governor’s consent before the beginning of November, SNAP recipients in Florida between the ages of 18 and 50 who are not disabled and do not have dependents will be limited to SNAP benefits for 3 months in any 3-year period when not employed or in a work or training program.

“In response to the devastation of Hurricane Irma, your Administration ceased enforcement of this time limit for the months of September and October in the 48 FEMA declared disaster counties throughout the State,” Lawson said. “This move allowed the most vulnerable of Floridians to rebuild their lives without the worry of losing their SNAP benefit, and this policy must be continued.”

The Florida Agriculture Committee members, who both sit on the Nutrition Subcommittee, are asking that Scott continue this policy for all 48 FEMA declared disaster counties, in addition to areas that qualify based on excessive unemployment.

“Many Floridians are still incurring disaster-related expenses, from repairing property or loss of income,” Soto said. “While recovering and making ends meet, families should first and foremost be food secured. SNAP provides a gap in income for Floridians to feed their families and we must continue to provide this essential benefit for all affected.”

Lawson and Soto cited the recent Department of Labor employment data that confirmed the loss of over thirty thousand jobs nationwide to “[a] steep decline in food services and drinking places and below-trend growth in some industries [that] likely reflected the impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in September.”

 “How can we expect SNAP recipients—who in the State of Florida are often employed in low-wage jobs related to tourism—to be able to meet time limit and work requirements in areas where devastation has flipped economies upside down?” Lawson added.

The letter outlines a case that speaks to the effect that Hurricane Irma has had on Florida’s service and tourism economies. Per the Visit Florida Research Department, Florida is the top travel destination in the world. Floridians who play an integral role in achieving this feat, unfortunately, are often employed in jobs that pay low wages. Retail salespersons, food preparation and service workers, tour guides, maid and housecleaners, stock clerks, and cashiers—all comprise a demographic who often barely make ends meet, and regrettably, suffer the most in times of natural disaster.