These SNAP Recipients Are NOT Happy About The New Rules

What this episode is about

New work requirements for food stamp recipients have sparked widespread discontent among those impacted, with many individuals, like Kenny, expressing concerns about the clarity and fairness of the new regulations. The changes demand that recipients work a minimum of 80 hours, raising fears about potential penalties for unforeseen circumstances, such as job-related injuries, and highlighting the disparities in benefits among participants.

Key takeaways

• Kenny's frustration encapsulates a system struggling to balance assistance and accountability amidst unclear communication.
• Eighty hours a month sounds daunting until you realize it breaks down to just 20 hours a week, not a daily grind.
• Permanent jobs are mythical for most; security isn’t guaranteed unless you're a bureaucrat, teacher, or Pope – a tough sell.
• Food stamp changes amplify the challenges: recently added age brackets now burden more middle-aged Americans seeking stability.
• Critics claim work requirements are slavery, yet many view them as a necessary push towards personal accountability and job readiness.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Matt Walsh (Host) · 11 min speaking
• Kenny (Guest) · 2 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Brandon Kenny
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Kanji Brown Jackson
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Brandon Kenny
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Ascension Press, Krux Lenton Challenge

Notable quotes from "These SNAP Recipients Are NOT Happy About The New Rules"

• Yes. Kenny wants to know what other benefits he can expect. If he's going to have to deal with the work requirements, he wants other benefits.

  about Brandon Kenny · at 2:11

• And not going to be on the Supreme Court, even though he's I'm willing to grant he's just as intelligent as Katanji Brown Jackson, probably more intelligent. if he can't get a…

  about Kanji Brown Jackson · at 3:10

• Change? Our sponsor and friends at Ascension Press invite you to join them for the Krux Lenton Challenge, a daily program that teaches you how to surrender your life to God.…

  about Krux Lenton Challenge · at 9:42

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Brandon Kenny — Person · Referenced interviewee / illustrative example · 3 mentions · first at 0:01
  A SNAP recipient interviewed by a Chicago PBS affiliate; used by the speaker as a concrete example while arguing about food-stamp work requirements and 'entitlement.'
• Kanji Brown Jackson — Person · Referenced public figure (comparison target) · 1 mention · first at 3:15
  Mentioned briefly as a point of comparison in a disparaging aside about intelligence and 'permanent jobs' (Supreme Court tenure).

Sponsors

• Krux Lenton Challenge — Product · Sponsor Product · 1 mention · first at 9:45
  A daily program for Lent promoted by Ascension Press, focusing on spiritual change through challenges inspired by the cross of Christ
• Ascension Press — Company · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at 9:42
  Sponsor of the podcast segment promoting the Krux Lenton Challenge
  Plan to approach this season so you can see real lasting spiritual change? Our sponsor and friends at Ascension Press invite you to join them for the Krux Lenton Challenge, a…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 What's we're being told is that they are entitled to your money. So Kenny is on the food stamps. He is entitled. Entitled. Entitled to your money. Entitled. You owe it to him. So today is uh February 2nd, which is Groundhog Day, I believe. Right. Did the Isn't that ground Did Did the Groundhog see his shadow? I'm not sure. Um Oh, okay. I'm being told he did. So So that means we have more winter. Okay. Well, that's um I was going to say happy groundhog day. I guess not not very happy but to all those who celebrate. Well, today is significant for uh for a different reason. For millions of Americans, it's a significant day for a different reason. Uh today is the day that the new work requirements go into place for food stamp recipients.

0:46 And as expected, these work requirements are being treated like a form of slavery. Every news channel in the country has been airing interviews with food stamp recipients complaining about the requirements. And so here's Chicago's PBS affiliate talking to a guy. I think it's just like a random guy named Kenny who they I don't know where they found this guy. Just like a guy who's walking around outside. They said, "Hey, what's your name? Kenny. Kenny, come in here." And uh we're going to assume that you're on food stamps. Come on in and let's talk about it. And so that's what they did. Let's listen.

1:16 You know, Kenny, I know you're worried that these upcoming changes haven't been clearly communicated to to folks who rely on this program. Are are you worried people who rely on SNAP know about the changes or you know has that not been clear?

1:29 It's not clear. I mean a lot of a lot of people understand that working 80 hours you know anything can happen if they fall short of 80 hours and get cut off. You know what if they get hurt on the job working for these food stamps you know and everybody not on the same pay uh food stamp budget you know some get less than others you know I mean what other benefits do we have? I mean what else can we look forward to? What about permanent jobs? You know, things that things of that nature. I am a participant, but I am really tired of being on staff. I want to work. I want to earn a living. And I mean, I don't want to be on this for the rest of my life. You know, I've tried looking for jobs, but there are barriers out there that's holding me back.

2:11 Yes. Kenny wants to know what other benefits he can expect. If he's going to have have to deal with the work requirements, he wants other benefits. benefits. Like he says, permanent jobs. I'm not sure what a permanent job is. I guess it's a job that you have forever and can never lose no matter what you do. Well, unfortunately for Kenny, permanent jobs don't exist unless you're a bureaucrat in the federal government or you're a public school teacher. those only PL or you're on the Supreme Court or you're the Pope. So that's really those are the four categories of jobs that are permanent and no matter how good or bad a job you're doing, you keep the job. Those are the only four categories. Federal bureaucrat, public school teacher, Supreme Court, or Pope.

3:03 And uh well, you know, he's he's probably not going to be Pope. I mean, anything's possible. Probably not going to happen. and uh not going to be on the Supreme Court, even though he's I I'm willing to grant he's just as intelligent as Katanji Brown Jackson, probably more intelligent. Uh if he can't get a job as a teacher or bureaucrat, then he's just going to have to jump into the same boat as all the rest of us and uh you know, get a job that's not necessarily permanent. But what are these work requirements? Okay, so you heard him say, you heard him say uh 80 hours, right?

3:36 You heard him say that 80 hours. And at first blush, even as someone who's opposed to the food stamp program entirely, I think the whole thing should be abolished. I don't think it should exist. But you hear that and you think, well, 80 hours, that's that's pretty steep, actually. That's a lot. 80 hours. 80 hours a week, that's like 15, 16 hours a day for 5 days a week. That seems a little excessive. I never thought that I would say that about work requirements for food stamps, but that's a little much. Well, the good news for Kenny is that the uh work requirement is indeed 80 hours, but it's 80 hours a month, not a week. Yes, the requirement is merely that you work for 80 hours a month, which to do the math is 20 hours a week.

4:22 Or, you know, you could average that out to four hours a day, 5 days a week, but really it'd be like, you know, two full eight hours a day, eight hour days a week, and then like a half a day. That's it. Uh KTLA has more quote uh reading work requirements are kicking in for uh more older adults and parents of teenagers across the US who get help with groceries through SNAP. The imple implementation dates vary by state and some people uh could lose benefits as soon as Sunday if they can't show they're working. But many people have a month or more before the benefits are at risk. The work requirements previously applied to adults ages 18 through 54 who are physically and mentally able to work and don't have dependent under age 18.

5:03 The new law applies those requirements, so expands them to also include those ages 55 through 64, and to parents with children uh without children younger than 14. And it repeals work exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans, and young adults aging out of foster care. And it limits the ability of states to wave work requirements in areas lacking jobs. So now if you're between the ages of 18 and 64 with the new requirements added to the previous requirements, uh if you're 18 and 64, so an adult below retirement age and you don't have children under the age of 14, then you need to work for 20 hours a week to qualify for food stamps. Otherwise, it says you can have food stamps, but only for three months in a three-year period.

5:52 So it's like a cushion that and then and then you got to get back on your feet. Um, these are not only reasonable requirements, but so minimal and so basic that they barely even count as requirements. [snorts] And yet the Congressional Bud Budget Office estimates that these bare minimum requirements will disqualify millions of people. You know, because millions of people are on the dole bilking the system, taking money out of your pocket while making no attempt to care for themselves and not even putting in the bare minimum of effort.

6:28 Like, needless to say, if you're an able-bodied adult, there is no valid reason why you can't work at least a part-time job. Like there's no reason why you can't go out and get and then work a at least a part-time job, but really a full-time job, especially if you don't have young children at home. Um, no young children at home. You're able-bodied. You're an adult below retirement age. You should be able to work. That's it. Now, I'm I'm happy these requirements are going into place. I would much prefer that everybody in this category, which is adults without young children who are not elderly or disabled, I'd prefer that everyone just be disqualified from food stamps outright.

7:16 I think that'd be perfectly fair. And I don't even think you need to wind it down. If we're up to me, I wouldn't even wind it down for somebody like Kenny. I would just say, "You're out." Like, "You're out. Go go go get a job, man. Like, what are you doing?" Oh, there are barriers. What What barriers are preventing you from getting any job at all? Stop it. Okay, a 16-year-old can go out there and get some kind of job. You're telling me that a 16-year-old could go out there and get some kind of job, but you can't get any as a grown ass man, as an adult in your what, your 50s? You can't You can't get any job. None.

7:54 Come on. And look, I'm sure Kenny is a nice guy. Uh, I have no problem with Kenny, but this is really the question. Why should I be forced to give Penny to give Kenny to give Kenny a single penny? Why should I be forced to give Kenny a penny? Um, why should I like to anyone who supports the SNAP program, this is kind of the question. This is really really where the rubber meets the road. What moral obligation do I have to Kenny who we just saw there? Yeah, probably a nice guy. What obligation what obligation do I have to him?

8:43 Because that that's the whole premise of entitlement. It's right there in the name. Entitlements. Like they're entitled to it. Well, entitled from who? Because it's not the money is not coming out of nowhere. It's coming from taxpayers. So the the what's we're being told is that they are entitled to your money. Let's if they So Kenny is on the food stamps. He it's an entitlement. He is entitled. Entitled entitled to your money. Entitled. You owe it to him. What? Why do you What do you owe him? Why do you owe him anything at all?

9:17 So I'd like for someone to explain that. Why do I have any obligation to Kenny? Where does this obligation come from? Ash Wednesday is just two weeks away, so you've probably started thinking about what you're giving up for Lent. Chocolate, social media, usual suspects. But here's the real question. How do you plan to approach this season so you can see real lasting spiritual change? Our sponsor and friends at Ascension Press invite you to join them for the Krux Lenton Challenge, a daily program that teaches you how to surrender your life to God. Each day, participants take on four challenges inspired by the cross of Christ, daily scripture reading, and nightly examine uh one physical exercise of your choice and one dietary fast of your choice. But don't worry, Krux isn't about extreme penance or white knuckled self-improvement. It's about encountering your weakness honestly, discovering the God who meets you

10:11 there. And you don't do this alone. Each day, Father Columba Jordan shares short video reflections in the Ascension app to encourage you, guide you when you struggle, and help you recognize where God is inviting you to surrender. For a limited time, you can join Krux with 90 days of premium access to the Ascension app for just $4.99. Visit centurpress.com/walls to download the app and get the free krux action plan to prepare for the challenge and track your progress through offer excludes current subscribers. Why do I owe anything to some random grown adult man who is perfectly capable of going out and getting a job and and if there is a barrier to a job I mean the only barrier that that and and when you hear this like well there's there's barriers in place. I mean, there's one one barrier could be if you have a criminal record.

10:59 Now, I'm not saying Kenny does. I don't know. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying like when people talk about barriers in this context of food stamps, often times they're talking about something like that. Well, if it is something like that, if it's like a self-imposed barrier that you screwed up in your life, you can still get a job, but it's that will make it harder for you. So, now what? I have an obligation to you. I have an oblig. So, if you've done stuff in your life so that you can't even get a part-time job in your as an as a physically capable adult man, now I have an obligation to you because you're a dysfunctional person.

11:37 You didn't fulfill your basic obligations as a citizen of the country, as a member of society. And so then that turns into an obligation for me to you. It doesn't make any sense. Now you could you could argue that in a civilized society uh we have in a Christian society we have obligations to um you know people who are truly uh the elderly children um people through who through no fault of their own are are are you know disabled or on hard times. Of course, we know that disability as a concept has expanded into meaninglessness. So, a lot of people are on disability who are not really disabled. But like putting that aside, uh you could argue that we have we have obligations to some extent generally speaking or or at least even if you don't want to say obligation, it's like as a as a civilized society, as a Christian society, uh we should take care of people like that and I would agree with that.

12:41 But we are so far beyond that. We are so far beyond that. And we were spending billions of dollars a year, billions, just giving money to people who are not in any of those categories at all.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "These SNAP Recipients Are NOT Happy About The New Rules"?

Matt Walsh (Host), Kenny (Guest).

What is "These SNAP Recipients Are NOT Happy About The New Rules" about?

New work requirements for food stamp recipients have sparked widespread discontent among those impacted, with many individuals, like Kenny, expressing concerns about the clarity and fairness of the new regulations. The changes demand that recipients work a minimum of 80 hours, raising fears about potential penalties for unforeseen circumstances, such as job-related injuries, and highlighting the…

What is mentioned in this Matt Walsh episode?

4 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Brandon Kenny, Kanji Brown Jackson. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "These SNAP Recipients Are NOT Happy About The New Rules"?

The episode runs 13 min; the transcript is about 2,311 words in 19 timestamped sections.

More from Matt Walsh

• All analyzed episodes
• Books mentioned on Matt Walsh
• People mentioned on Matt Walsh
• Sponsors mentioned on Matt Walsh
• Topics mentioned on Matt Walsh