The U.S. Department of Agriculture published a “final rule” on Dec. 5 that will tighten work requirements related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) formerly known as food stamps. The rule affects “able-bodied people without dependents.” WAMU reported that 688,000 poor and low-income people across the country fall into this category. While those people could often have a three-month maximum use of SNAP waived by their state government, the new rule is expected to make it harder for states to receive and pass on those waivers.“Let’s be clear: Hunger does not resolve barriers to employment. Hunger does not solve inequality. Hunger does not solve poverty,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press release responding to the rule. The new rule is expected to go into effect in April.