Representative Gilchrist, Senator Lesser, Representative Case, Senator Perillo, and distinguished members of the Human Services Committee. My name is Alison Weir and I am the executive director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center. CVLC provides free legal services for low-income veterans, including assisting them with applying for SNAP benefits. I am here to support SB 497, AN ACT PROTECTING FOOD SECURITY FOR VETERANS AND OTHERS AND MITIGATING FEDERAL CUTS TO NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE.

Prior to the passage of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, veterans were exempt from work requirements. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, approximately 9000 Veterans in Connecticut received SNAP before OBBBA.  While it is possible that some of these veterans will fall within another group exempt from work requirements, such as age, or total disability, from the information we have about our clients who receive SNAP, there will be a large number of veterans who will be subject to the work requirement, many of whom are unlikely to be able to fulfill those requirements. 

We have 364 clients who have received SNAP. Over 70% are single, making them likely to be subject to the work requirement. Many have experienced homelessness, which is also no longer an exemption from the work requirement, despite the fact that it is very difficult to find a job when one is living out of a car or in a shelter and researchers have estimated the rate of unemployment among the homeless as ranging from 57 to 90%. Many of our clients are between the ages of 55 and 64 years old, a group that used to be exempt from work requirements, but no longer are, despite the fact that older workers face notable barriers to employment, including ageism, and are at an age that many have dropped out of the workforce. These exemptions to the work requirements were initially included because it was recognized that certain groups who have low incomes would have much more difficulty meeting the requirements or being able to file the paperwork, leaving them vulnerable to going hungry, making it that much more difficult for them to gain a stable footing. 

CVLC is part of a medical-legal partnership with the VA, and most of our clients are referred to us because they face barriers to their recovery. The truth of the matter is that our clients would much prefer working a job that pays enough for them to eat to collecting SNAP benefits, but they face barriers to holding a job. About 30% of our clients receiving SNAP have a service-connected disability, but most of those fall short of the total disability level required to qualify for the disability exemption.  Disabled veterans have a higher rate of unemployment at 5.7%, than nondisabled veterans or civilians, and disabled women veterans have an even higher unemployment rate of 9.1%. 

These are people who have already demonstrated their willingness to fight for this country, and often return injured, either mentally or physically, and have trouble adjusting to civilian life. It is shameful that the federal government is willing to turn its back on veterans who need food assistance. I’m proud that the Connecticut legislature is taking action to provide that assistance and I urge the committee forward this bill to the House and Senate.