(The Center Square) – Wisconsin had nearly 356,000 of what it calls assistance groups receiving FoodShare in the state in May, down from nearly 370,000 last June.
FoodShare is the Wisconsin version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program, which saw changes in the past year to work requirements along with ending eligibility for some immigrants and refugees.
The work requirements are for any individual aged 18 to 64 who is physically and mentally able to work and does not have a child under 14. Each person fitting that description must work 20 hours per week or participate in approved job readiness programs, job searching or volunteering.
In March, Gov. Tony Evers and legislators came to an agreement on a $72 million FoodShare bill that included a ban on candy and soda purchases with the SNAP funds.
The Foundation for Government Accountability said when the new requirements were put in place, including a significant financial penalty for states that exceed a 6% error rate on payments, that the integrity measures were necessary since SNAP costs had increased 488% since 2000 with the number of enrollees doubling over that time.
There were 42 million enrollees with annual federal costs of more than $100 billion for the program.
The five-year trend on Wisconsin SNAP enrollments showed that numbers went from nearly 371,000 households in 2022 to more than 374,000 in both 2023 and 2024 and back down to 356,000 now.
