Making Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Enrollment Easier for Gig Workers
This article discusses the challenges nonstandard workers face in verifying income for SNAP eligibility and suggests policy reforms to improve access
Published in the American Journal of Public Health, this article examines the difficulties gig workers encounter when applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Traditional income verification methods, such as providing consistent pay stubs, are often incompatible with the irregular earnings and documentation typical of nonstandard employment. The author highlights the administrative burdens this population faces, including the need to compile extensive documentation and the stress associated with inconsistent income. To address these issues, the article recommends policy changes like expanding acceptable income documentation, training eligibility workers to understand gig economy payment structures, and adopting flexible income assessment time frames. These reforms aim to make SNAP more accessible to gig workers, thereby enhancing food security among this growing segment of the workforce.
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