Work requirement for food stamp recipients 'unreasonably harsh,' must go, group tells Jindal

[TexasTowelie]

A New Orleans organization advocating for low-income residents urged Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration to end a new minimum work requirement enacted for more than 60,000 food stamp recipients.

The group Stand With Dignity sent a complaint letter to Jindal and his Department of Children and Families Services secretary, Suzy Sonnier, calling the work requirements “unreasonably harsh.”

The Jindal administration let a federal waiver expire on Oct. 1 that allowed adults aged 18 to 49 without children to receive food stamps without a work requirement. They will soon be required to work at least 20 hours per week or be enrolled in a federally-approved job training program to receive benefits.

States that meet certain U.S. Labor Department criteria have been able to get waivers from the work requirements in federal law.

Read more: http://theadvocate.com/news/13942253-123/jindal-administration-asked-to-reconsider

[MichMan]

1. Why does there need to be a waiver?

If the legislation requiring the 20 hrs wasn't already Federal law, states wouldn't be able to refuse to apply for a waiver in the first place. This legislation was signed into law in 1996 (nearly 20 yrs ago) under the Welfare Reform Act. This should not even be an issue as it shouldn't have been signed in the first place and there have been plenty of opportunities to repeal it

What do our current candidates have to say about it?