If the reason you need SNAP/food stamp benefits is because you are on a work strike, you and your household cannot get SNAP/food stamps unless you were income-eligible for SNAP/food stamps before you went on strike. If so, DTA will count either the value of your current income or your income before you went on strike, whichever is higher. 106 C.M.R § 361.240(E)(2).
You are not considered on strike if:
- your former boss locked you out or permanently replaced you, or
- you are not on strike but you cannot work because other workers are on strike or because you are afraid to cross a picket line, or
- you were exempt from work registration on the day before the strike. See Who must register for work and do job search, and who's exempt? for a list of work registration exemptions.
Advocacy Reminder
- There are many exemptions from work registration, so many people who think they are on strike are not considered strikers for SNAP/food stamp purposes.
Produced by Patricia Baker, Laura Gallant, Deborah Harris, Rochelle Hahn Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Last updated January 2011
