County: about 7,000 Ramsey residents could be affected by SNAP changes under HR1

During the HR1 presentation Director Ali told the board that SNAP administration will see a notable rise in casework and verification demands. "About 7,000 Ramsay County residents will be affected by the new eligibility and work requirement," the director said, speaking to the anticipated scope of the change.

Ali said the county recommends adding 4.5 FTE eligibility-specialist positions dedicated to handling SNAP's increased workload and emphasized that the recommendation is "based on the amount of work involved, not just the number of people affected." Board members questioned how the county would verify disability-related exemptions and what manual notice processes would look like; Ali described a medical-opinion form that county staff would send to medical providers and acknowledged many operational details remain subject to evolving state and federal guidance.

The board and staff discussed how SNAP limited-recipient rules would work in practice: Ali explained that recipients who do not meet work or community-engagement requirements may be limited to three months of SNAP benefits in a three-year period under the new rules. Commissioners urged outreach and coordinated support to help affected residents complete verifications.