North Carolina Now Requires Welfare Leeches To Do THIS... The Free Ride Is Over According to recent reports, many food stamp recipients in North Carolina are now required to meet work requirements in order to receive and sustain their benefits. In Robeson County alone, the change will impact 2,814 of the countys 45,000 beneficiaries, a local paper reports. State lawmakers reportedly passed the bill last September, and Gov. Pat McCrory official signed the bill in October. The measure reinstates federal work requirements that were originally part of The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. They were later suspended after the recession hit in 2008. The legislation requires any childless, able-bodied adult between 19 and 49 to meet certain work requirements in order to continue receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Recipients will have three months to find a job, volunteer somewhere, or enter a work-training program. If they fail to do so, they risk having their benefits cut for three years. Those attempting to work fewer than 20 hours per week could also have their benefits revoked. If a participant is disqualified, they can regain benefits by proving that they can meet the work requirements for a 30-day period and beyond. If jobs are available, we want to encourage work, Sherry Bradsher, deputy secretary of the states Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told reporters. Those who fall under the able-bodied adult category with no dependent children will be reviewed to ensure that they are meeting all requirements every three months, Sally Speights, the program manager responsible for overseeing SNAP benefits, told local reporters. Today, food stamp re-certifications are all done every six months. Two Democrats who represent Robeson County at the state capitol voted against the reform bill, stating it was overly punitive given the shortage of available jobs in the county. Supporters of the program believe this will give recipients a needed push to regain their independence and become self-sustaining citizens. What do you think? Do you support this measure? 