U.S. judge strikes down USDA rule on food benefits during pandemic

https://news.yahoo.com/u-judge-strikes-down-usda-101752563.html

Bhargav Acharya
,Reuters•October 19, 2020

A U.S. federal judge has struck down a Trump administration rule that would have cut food stamp benefits to almost 700,000 unemployed Americans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, court documents showed.

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In March, the judge had granted a preliminary injunction and a stay on part of the rule, which was scheduled to take effect on April 1, noting food needs during the pandemic.

USDA filed a notice in May appealing the order.

Its rule would have limited each state's ability to waive work mandates, effectively requiring more food stamp recipients to work.

The judge added that the rosters of the SNAP program have grown by over 17% in the pandemic's wake, with over 6 million new enrollees as of May.