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The emergency assistance line keeps ringing for the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Over 47,000 calls through PA 211 have been made to the organization this year. Jen Schuchart, director of basic needs at the United Way, said they have seen a 16% increase in calls relating to food assistance and a 27% increase in calls related to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) compared to 2024. Through several partner agencies, the organization connects community members with resources to address food insecurity, transportation issues and household repairs.
“There's this increased sense of anxiety and confusion. How is this impacting me? Where do I fit in? Am I going to lose benefits?” Schuchart is referring to the new work requirements for SNAP benefit users.
The new federal law enacted at the beginning of September states that SNAP recipients must report at least 20 hours of work, education, training, or volunteering per week if they are 18 to 54 years old, do not have a dependent child under 18, and are physically and mentally able to work.
Nearly 30,000 people in Southwestern Pennsylvania are projected to lose government food assistance under this and other federal changes. More than 2 million Pennsylvanians are enrolled — over half are families with children.
Throughout the region, the percentage of people enrolled in SNAP varies from a high in Fayette of 31% to as low as 13% in Butler County. Almost 14,000 people are projected to lose SNAP benefits in Allegheny County, the second highest number in the state.
People who do not meet these requirements can now only receive three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period. The state Department of Human Services said the earliest potential benefit loss is in December.
Regional organizations are preparing for the impact.
Over 2,800 people in Fayette County are expected to lose benefits before the end of the year. According to the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, 50% of households in the county do not earn enough to make ends meet, and the cost of surviving is nearly three times the federal poverty level.
“When you think about Fayette County and the additional administrative burden on a SNAP recipient to file all the work requirements, it’s hard if they don’t have reliable internet or transportation,” Schuchart said. “It’s adding an extra burden for folks who might not have those resources readily available.”
An October 2024 report by the organization found that more than 350,000 households — roughly 41% — throughout Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland Ccounties are unable to afford housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, and basic technology.
“Costs are only one piece of the puzzle,” Schuchart said. “As folks start to lose benefits or receive reduced benefits, our neighbors are starting to make those difficult decisions. How do I stretch that budget to choose between feeding my family and keeping a roof over my head, paying for gas to get to and from work to keep that income stream coming?”
In Butler County, Director of Human Services Amanda Feltenberger said many people in the county using SNAP are disabled. Nearly 560 of the county’s 15,775 SNAP recipients are projected to lose benefits under the new rules.
“There’s still not a ton of detail in terms of how [the new work requirements] are going to roll out,” Feltenberger said. “What does that mean to be able bodied? Is it just going to be a doctor that can verify somebody has mental health or physical limitations, or is it that they actually have to be on Social Security?”
These new requirements will also apply to adults who are 55 to 64, veterans, unhoused individuals, and current or former foster children aged 24 or younger starting on November 1.
“A lot of the people that we serve, they have a lot going on...so until something actually becomes a reality for them, they just can't even go there,” Feltenberger said. “Once November 5 comes, and people are really starting to be impacted by things then, then we'll start to hear it.”
Feltenberger said the office and their community partners are working with case managers to make sure SNAP recipients have their medical records and other important documents up to date.
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, which provides food in 11 counties through over 1,000 partner organizations, is also preparing to see an increase in service requests as the new work requirements are implemented.
“We work tirelessly with our partners in the community, but we just cannot replace the skill or the ability that programs federal programs like SNAP provide,” Vice President of Marketing and Communications Brian Gulish said. “[The SNAP changes] are already coming at a time when donations and food supply chains are being strained by various factors.”
Gulish said the Food Bank lost an estimated $1.6 million in grant funding on July 1, after several U.S. Department of Agriculture cuts - 26% of all food distributed by the Food Bank is sourced through government funding.
“We've been able to tap in the emergency savings to offset some of those gaps... but the long-term sustainability depends on community commitment,” Gulish said.
September is Hunger Action Month, and Gulish said one of the main goals is to get more volunteers and people to the food bank who need their services.
“There's a stigma associated with utilizing the food bank. There are barriers to getting to a food bank,” Gulish said. “But when someone who utilizes our services can share their voice and their experience with their neighbors, it helps everyone.”
From July 2024 to this June, the Food Bank distributed the highest number of meals for a single year: a total of 53 million, a 5 million increase from the year prior. Gulish said they hope to see the state budget passed soon, as Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed a $4 million increase to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System.
“If we are able to see some of that funding be approved and come through it, it'll help offset the $1.5 million loss,” Gulish said. “These vulnerable populations shouldn’t have to choose between purchasing food or paying rent or paying for childcare.”
Another federal change that started this month was that individual municipalities and counties can no longer apply for work requirement waivers if they are experiencing high unemployment rates or low job availability. All of Butler County, except for Cranberry Township, could receive SNAP benefits without meeting a work and reporting requirement.
Gleaner’s Food Bank, which serves about 65 to 80 Cranberry Township residents per month, is one of the only food banks in the township and distributes food monthly through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). All food is collected through local donations, collecting bit by bit, or gleaning.
Director Linda Heery said they have had new clients in the past few months, but their distribution rate is about the same; they expect more requests in the winter months.
“Since the SNAP income guidelines are the same for [TEFAP], I do not expect our program to be more strained,” Heery said. “At this point it seems too early to comment on whether the change in the SNAP program will have an effect.”
More information on new work requirements for SNAP recipients can be found on the state’s website.
Erin Yudt is a reporter with Next Generation Newsroom, part of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University. She most recently was a multimedia content producer and digital reporter at WKBN in Youngstown and is a graduate of Point Park University. Reach her at erin.yudt@pointpark.edu.
NGN is a regional news service that focuses on government and enterprise reporting in southwestern Pennsylvania. Find out more information on foundation and corporate funders here.
Main image: The Market is one of the services at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in Duquesne where community members can shop in person for food. The Food Bank expects more community members to visit this store as the new work requirements for SNAP users are implemented. Photo by Erin Yudt / Next Generation Newsroom
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