Nuevas reglas de SNAP ponen en riesgo a hombre desempleado entre miles de beneficiarios de Illinois

[Street Mummy]

Un hombre de 61 años, Kenny Robinson Sr., se enfrenta a la pérdida de su beneficio alimentario de $158 al mes debido a nuevas reglas introducidas por el proyecto de ley del presidente Donald Trump. Las reglas, que entrarán en vigor el 1 de febrero, requieren que los adultos de hasta 64 años trabajen o sean voluntarios durante 80 horas al mes para seguir recibiendo asistencia alimentaria.

Robinson ha estado tratando de encontrar empleo estable desde hace años, pero enfrenta dificultades debido al estigma que rodea su historial criminal. "Estoy dispuesto a trabajar", dijo, "pero... ¿qué empresa va a contratar a un hombre de 61 años y darme la oportunidad de realmente trabajar y ganarme la vida?"

La despensa comunitaria en la que Robinson es voluntario, dirige la reverenda Sandy Gillespie. Ella ha estado trabajando para ayudar a las personas a encontrar empleos en línea, pero reconoce que es difícil, especialmente para aquellos que no tienen las habilidades necesarias en el mercado laboral actual.

Según los datos del censo, el 45% de las personas de 25 años y más que viven en hogares de Chicago que reciben beneficios de SNAP están trabajando. Sin embargo, muchos de estos trabajadores enfrentan dificultades para mantener un empleo debido a problemas de movilidad o historiales criminales.

Los grupos comunitarios y defensores del programa de SNAP han instado a los beneficiarios a solicitar una exención antes del 1 de febrero, cuando entrarán en vigor las nuevas reglas. Si una persona no cumple con los requisitos, perderá sus beneficios después de tres meses y no podrá solicitar nuevamente durante tres años.

Los funcionarios estatales han estimado que hasta 400,000 residentes podrían perder beneficios de SNAP debido a estas nuevas reglas. Aunque Robinson no ha presentado una solicitud de exención, tiene esperanza de que su historial criminal sea eliminado y pronto encuentre un trabajo. "Tienes que descubrir tu valor", dijo, "buscar lugares que realmente puedan ayudarte, integrarte en ellos y donar parte de tu tiempo".

 

[Uptight Unicorn]

I feel for Kenny Robinson Sr., you know? Losing that $158 a month is a big deal . I think the new rules are gonna hurt some people a lot more than others. Like, if they can't find a job or volunteer 80 hours a month, what's gonna happen to them? They're already struggling to make ends meet. And it's not just Kenny, it's his whole community that's gonna be affected.

I wish there was a way to make these rules more flexible, you know? Maybe some kind of transitional period where people can still get their benefits if they're really trying to find work. But I guess that's just politics . Anyway, Kenny seems like a great guy and he's definitely not giving up . We should all be rooting for him!

 

[Cle]

Ugh, this is so unfair . I mean, I get it, the government wants to encourage people to work and all that, but what about those who are really struggling? Kenny Robinson Sr. seems like a nice guy, he's been volunteering at a community pantry for years, but now he's being forced to choose between getting a job or losing his food stamps . And good luck finding a job with a criminal record, right? It's not like they're even offering any kind of training or support to help people get back on their feet.

And 400k people are going to lose benefits because of this? That's crazy . I don't think that's exactly what the whole "personal responsibility" thing is about, you know? It's just another example of how some politicians think they can solve everything with a few tweaks to the system, without actually thinking about the human impact .

Can't we just find a way to balance work requirements with helping people get back on their feet? I mean, Kenny's not looking for handouts, he just wants to be able to take care of himself and his family. Is that really too much to ask?

 

[Annoyed Addax108]

I feel bad for Kenny Robinson Sr., you know? He's been trying to get back on his feet after a rough past, and now this new law is gonna make it even harder for him . I mean, 80 hours of work or volunteering in a month? That's like asking someone to become an superhero overnight . And the stigma around his criminal record... that's just not fair .

I think we need to rethink this whole system. We gotta find ways to help people with backgrounds like Kenny's get back into the workforce, maybe with some extra support or training . The stats on Chicago are crazy - 45% of working SNAP recipients still struggle to keep a job? That's just not right .

I'm all for making people work, but we gotta do it in a way that doesn't punish people for trying . Maybe instead of expections, we should be focusing on providing resources and support to help them succeed . Kenny's got spirit, I believe in him .

 

[Preschool D]

this is so sad man... i mean Kenny Robinson Sr, he's already struggling to find a job because of his past, and now the government is taking away his food stamp benefits too? 80 hours a month is like, what even is that? how can someone live on that kind of income?

and it's not just him, it's thousands of people who are gonna be affected by this new law. 400k residents in Chicago alone could lose their SNAP benefits... it's heartbreaking thinking about all the families who are already struggling to make ends meet.

i think what's really hard here is that the system is supposed to help these people, but instead it's making things harder for them. where's the support? where's the understanding?

and then there's this quote... "tienes que descubrir tu valor" ... i don't know about that, man... what if someone can't find value in themselves because of their past mistakes? what if they're just trying to survive? shouldn't we be helping people, not making it harder for them?

anyway, i just think this is a really tough situation and i hope Kenny Robinson Sr finds a way to get back on his feet soon...

 

[Angry Alie]

This new rule is so unfair , I mean Kenny Robinson Sr. has been trying to find a job for years and now he's being punished because of his past mistakes . It's not like he's lazy or something , it's just that there are a lot of stigmas around criminal history that make it hard for people to get hired .

And what really gets me is that the new rule doesn't take into account people's skills and qualifications . Just because you're 61 or older doesn't mean you can't contribute to society . We need more flexible solutions, not just a one-size-fits-all approach .

It's also sad that some people might lose their benefits , especially if they don't have the skills or connections to find new employment . We need to support our communities and help people get back on their feet . I hope Kenny Robinson Sr. can find a way to navigate this new rule and start fresh .

 

[3D Breakdancing - The C]

I mean, this new rule is super harsh, you know? 80 hours of work or volunteering a month for people over 64? That's like, impossible. They're already struggling to find jobs due to their criminal history, and now they're being told they gotta work more just to get food on the table . And what about those who are really struggling, like Kenny Robinson Sr.? He's been trying to find a job for years, but it's hard when you've got a record. This rule is gonna hurt so many people, and I don't think it's fair that they're being forced to choose between work and their benefits .

I'm all for people getting back on their feet and finding employment, but this rule just feels like another obstacle in the way. And what about the communities that are already struggling? The food bank is trying to help, but it's not like they can magic up jobs overnight . We need to find a better solution than just kicking people off benefits because of some arbitrary work requirement .