a cce s s H ea l t h N ews . n e t
M a rc h 2 0 2 6
Volume 11 | Issue No. 104
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Consumer advocates contend that work requirements will
lead to millions of people losing assistance and don't take
into account barriers to finding employment. Rebecca Vallas,
vice president of the Poverty to Prosperity Program, said, "So-
called work requirements are premised on a set of myths about
poverty. First, that the poor are some stagnant group of people
who 'just don't want to work.' Second, that anyone who wants a
well-paying job can just snap their fingers to make one appear.
And third, that having a job is all it takes not to be poor."
As for rural West Central Missouri, here are just a few facts
from the 2017 Missouri Economic Report that may pose chal-
lenges to meet the work requirement. The West Central
Missouri region has a higher percentage of the population with
a disability compared to the state and nation. Specifically, 16
percent of the population has a disability compared with 13
percent in Missouri and 10 percent in the United States. This
poses a barrier to employment or may result in working in lower
skilled and lower wage jobs.
Agencies like the Department of Agriculture,
which administers SNAP, and the Department
of Housing & Urban Development (HUD),
which offers subsidized housing, have 90
days from April 2018 to submit a list of
recommendations and policy changes to their
work requirements per the executive order.
HUD already has plans to increase rent on
millions receiving federal housing assistance.
