Starting next month, the State of Kansas is going to require 18-49 year olds capable of working and who don’t have dependent children, to get a job or begin job

training to receive food stamps.
State Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady who serves the 110th District including portions of Ellis County agrees with the change. “Government assistance should be just that, a safety net, not a long-term way of life,” he said. “Government assistance should be a hand up, not a hand-out. Individuals who take short-term assistance to avoid long-term dependency need to maintain empowerment over their lives, and a work requirement does just that.”
An estimated 20,000 Kansas adults could be impacted by this change. They will have three months, beginning Oct. 1, to find employment to continue receiving their current food assistance. They will be required to work no less than 20 hours per week or be enrolled in a federally-approved job training program.