State drops 15,000 from food stamps

New law requires recipients to seek jobs

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – New state data show that nearly 15,000 Wisconsin residents lost access to food stamps in the first three months of a new law that requires some recipients to seek jobs.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports it obtained the data from the Department of Human Services under the state open records law.

The rule took effect in April for participants in the state’s food stamp program, FoodShare. It requires able-bodied adults without children living at home to work at least 80 hours a month or look for work to stay in the program.

The DHS data show about 25 percent of the 60,000 recipients eligible to work were dropped from the program between July and September. But about 4,500 found work through a new job training program for FoodShare recipients.

This story has been corrected to show that the affected number of recipients is 15,000.