More South Dakotans are using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, than they were five years ago. But the Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Social Services says about 20 percent of eligible residents still aren’t utilizing the program. Kim Malsam-Rysdon testified before the Joint Appropriations Committee Tuesday. She says the majority of South Dakotans using SNAP are families with children, and the average benefits are $303 per month. She says the program is meant to be temporary. Most residents use it for fewer than nine months.
“When we see folks, whether it’s SNAP or TANF is another good example, where we see a shorter time that people are actually on services it means that they’re getting work and that they don’t qualify because they’ve got wage income. That’s good. And so those are the kinds of outcomes that we do watch for,” Malsam-Rysdon says.
Malsam-Rysdon says most SNAP participants must work 30 hours a week while they’re on the program. She says South Dakota consistently ranks highly for accurately determining eligibility and benefits.