59. What are the rules if I am on strike?

There are negative SNAP rules that affect people who are on strike when they apply for SNAP. Only some strikers are subject to these rules.

You are not subject to the negative SNAP rules 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 the SNAP ”voluntary quit” rules on the day before the strike. Common exemptions include if you are 60 or older, care for a young child, or an eligible college student. See Question 56 for a full list of who is exempt.

If you have to meet the striker rules and are striking when you apply, you cannot get SNAP unless your income was low enough before you went on strike that you would have qualified for SNAP.

If your income was low enough to qualify, DTA will count either the value of your current monthly income or the value of your income before you went on strike to calculate the SNAP benefits for your household – whichever income amount is higher. 106 C.M.R §361.240(E)(2). 

DTA Online Guide

See Appendix G for links to the DTA’s BEACON Online Guide on this section.