The COVID-19 public health emergency ended in May, and special rules are winding down that made some public programs easier for participants. Changes affecting food assistance, student loans, and Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) may deepen financial pressures in the community you serve and prompt the need for alternative support.
Here are three key changes:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This federal food-assistance program paused work requirements and related benefit limits during the emergency phase of the pandemic. Those rules started again July 1. Some adults without dependents who are physically and mentally able to work can have their benefits limited to three months in a three-year period if they do not spend 20 hours per week working, volunteering, or getting approved job training.
In Washington, people in most counties are exempt from the requirement, even after the pandemic emergency. But people in King and Snohomish counties (with the exception of people on the Muckleshoot and Tulalip Reservations) are again now subject to the time limit rules.
Clients should contact the agency for guidance meeting the requirements or report a possible exemption. People can email ABAWD@dshs.wa.gov, visit a local Community Services Office, or call the Customer Contact Service Center at 1-877-501-2233.
Anyone in need can search for a food bank here: https://www.northwestharvest.org/our-work/food-access-network
Federal student loans. A federal spending bill passed in June set an end date to the pause on student loan interest and payments. Interest will resume on federal student loans September 1 and payments will restart October 1.
Many borrowers will need to review their payment amount, payment address, direct-debit account information, and more to be ready for repayment. The Washington Office of the Student Loan Advocate recommends people log into their StudentAid.gov account dashboard to update contact details and review the loan servicer information.
For people who cannot afford their student loan payment, the Student Loan Advocate notes ongoing (not expiring) loan forgiveness programs, including:
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
- Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF)
- Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) forgiveness
- Total and Permanent Disability Discharge
- Closed School Discharge
Details and applications for these programs are under “Loan Forgiveness and Discharge” on the federal student aid website.
Washington Apple Health (Medicaid). The state has begun rechecking whether people with Apple Health coverage still qualify. Those reviews stopped during the pandemic emergency, restarted in April, and will continue all year. It will be important for people with Apple Health to keep their contact information current with the program and respond to any notices they receive from Washington Healthplanfinder or the Washington Department of Social and Health Services.
Organizations serving people with Apple Health coverage can help spread the word about how to successfully renew benefits or find other coverage if they no longer qualify. An outreach kit with forms and publications, videos, posters, brochures, and more is online here from the Washington State Health Care Authority.