Student and legal advocacy groups are urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to eliminate the interview requirement for applicants seeking assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These groups argue that the interview process is burdensome and hinders eligible individuals from accessing food aid. The National Student Legal Defense Network, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and the California Student Aid Commission are among the organizations advocating for the removal of this requirement. The USDA has stated that it is currently reviewing the proposal.
SNAP is a program designed to help low-income families supplement their food budgets by providing them with funds to purchase groceries, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. Presently, approximately 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, with an average assistance of $212 per person or $401 per household.
Under the existing rules, within 30 days of submitting a SNAP application, a state agency must conduct an initial certification interview with the applicant, either by phone or in person. Expedited interviews may be scheduled within a seven-day window for individuals who meet certain income criteria or have specific needs, such as seasonal farm workers or migrants. Eligible households receive a notice indicating the duration of their certification period, and they are required to undergo a recertification process before this period ends.
Aviana Kimani, a 24-year-old student at West Los Angeles College, shared her experience with the challenges of the recertification interview. Kimani had received SNAP benefits for a year and a half but ultimately left the program due, in part, to the difficulty of scheduling the mandated interview. Attending the social services office in person during its limited open hours proved challenging for her due to work and school commitments. Additionally, she was moving at the time, and the paper-based process of the SNAP program added further complications, such as updating her address post-move.
Critics of the interview requirement argue that it is an outdated bureaucratic hurdle. While the USDA initially retained the interview requirement from the previous food stamp program when SNAP was established in 1978, the organizations petitioning for its removal highlight that federal statute does not mandate interviews for the SNAP program. Instead, they argue that the interview serves as an unnecessary barrier that prevents eligible individuals from accessing the food aid they qualify for.
Data from a 2021 review conducted in California reveals that 31% of SNAP applicants in Los Angeles County were denied benefits due to missed interviews, compared to only 6% who were denied for failing to meet eligibility requirements. Working families and college applicants were particularly affected, with missed-interview denials impacting up to 40% of otherwise eligible applicants.
The USDA reports that during the last pre-pandemic period (October 2019 to February 2020) for which data is available, 78% of eligible individuals participated in the SNAP program and received benefits. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA temporarily eased interview and other requirements, encouraging states to enhance access to SNAP by enabling online or phone applications and allowing participants to continue receiving benefits without reapplying for extended periods. These changes, along with the structure of the SNAP program, played a crucial role in preventing hunger levels from increasing in 2020, unlike during the 2008 recession when rates surged from 11.1% to 14.7%.
Aviana Kimani, reflecting on these pandemic-related policy changes, questions the necessity of in-person appointments to determine SNAP eligibility and suggests that automatic recertification processes could be implemented to ensure continuity of benefits without the need for interviews.
A recent report by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities indicates that while the interview requirement can facilitate accurate information gathering and address applicant inquiries, it also represents a labor-intensive task that can cause delays in approving benefits.
Advocacy organizations, such as Student Defense, point out that students frequently face difficulties in coordinating the required SNAP interviews alongside their academic responsibilities, employment obligations, and caregiving responsibilities.
The call to eliminate the interview requirement in the SNAP application process is gaining momentum. As the USDA reviews the proposal put forth by student and legal advocacy groups, the ultimate decision will have significant implications for the millions of Americans who rely on SNAP assistance to meet their basic nutritional needs.
