Currently, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, West Virginia SNAP recipients are required to volunteer 80 hours a month to maintain food assistance, performing unpaid work at town halls and other facilities.
According to West Virginia Watch, Lilly Hall, 59, reports to Delbarton Town Hall for an eight-hour workday. During her unpaid shifts, she's been tasked with organizing files, taking out the trash, and keeping the town’s restrooms stocked with toilet paper and paper towels.
President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act also expanded work requirements and raised age limits from 54 to 64, eliminating exceptions for homeless individuals, veterans, and former foster youth under 25.
West Virginia's SNAP enrollment dropped by over 14,000 people between July 2025 and March 2026, according to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Meanwhile, the state faces potential $27 million in additional costs beginning in 2028 due to a 6.69% payment error rate exceeding the 6% threshold, reports the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration.
Policy experts warn that as states rush to lower error rates, they may deny complex cases involving children and caregivers.
Helen Comer, of Yawkey, in Lincoln County, lost her $24 monthly benefit after leaving work to care for dying parents. She now lives off credit and by selling her belongings.
“I just felt like they need to know that it’s not black and white, you know?” Comer said.
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