Over 30 disqualified from food stamp

At least 31 individuals were disqualified from the local food stamp program last month, over failure to comply with workforce participation requirements, Nutrition Assistance Program director Walter Macaranas said yesterday.

The disqualified recipients come as part of a “progressive disqualification” program, which the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program implemented this year 2016. If recipients don’t comply with the work registration, education, and training requirements—administered in part with other local agencies like the local trade institute and workforce agency—they will be disqualified for three months.

On the second offense, recipients are disqualified for six months. And on the third offense, they face permanent disqualification from the food stamp program.

The recent requirements are part of local efforts to get more people into the workforce and not depend solely on food subsistence when they are able bodied and there are available jobs in the community.

“We do require now the participants go to the Northern Marianas Trade Institute and go through an orientation,” Macaranas told Saipan Tribune in an interview after a Senate budget hearing with the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs. “We are sending these individuals, a block of individuals, each schedule. They go to NMTI and they attend an orientation and they understand what is being offered there and if they enroll, then NMTI will assist these individuals.”

“If they are considered qualified to find a job, we will require them to go to [Department of] Labor and register for work there,” he added.

NAP has been disqualifying individuals as these agencies report back to them on whether a person complied with requirements or was in attendance.

Macaranas says they then talk to these individuals to understand their reasons, because sometimes it could be a lack of transportation.

There are also exemptions. If a recipient is caring for frail senior citizen, or caring for a disable person, or if they have a child under 6—one member of the household will be exempted from the requirements.

Still, Macaranas emphasizes “you got to do something for yourself. You cannot just give these excuses. There are jobs there. The more we are pushing these people to the workforce, the better, and having stricter requirements pushes them into that direction.”

Macaranas acknowledges their efforts come as apart of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ strategic economic commission plans and also the realization of the expiration of the non-resident worker program in 2019, which could see the CNMI lose the thousands of foreign workers who are employed in the day to day business operations of the economy.

“It’s something we have to push on these individuals, that there are jobs and employers are looking for workers—if we don’t push them in that direction, then we are not doing our job,” Macaranas said.