Food pantries like this one in Chicago could see a spike in visits as tens of thousands of Cook County residents are at risk of losing food stamps under existing SNAP regulations. A new USDA regulation is anticipated to increase the burden on food pantries around the country, advocates say. (Alyssa Schukar for Greater Chicago Food Depository)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), recently made it harder for states to waive the employment requirement for certain SNAP beneficiaries. People with disabilities receiving Social Security benefits do not need to be employed to qualify for SNAP. However, disability advocates worry that the rule change will hurt people with disabilities not on Social Security who face obstacles to employment.