SNAP Cuts Threaten Access to Food for Millions of Americans

Author: Sydney Sanders

August 19, 2025

[Image source: Marca.com]

What is SNAP?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also referred to as food stamps or EBT, is a vital monthly benefit that helps lower-income residents throughout the United States access food. Over 41 million Americans accessed the program in 2022, making SNAP the largest anti-hunger program in the country. 

SNAP recipients receive a monthly allowance from the Federal government that is dependent on their income and family size. This allowance also varies with other factors, such as state of residence, amount of utilities a family pays for each month, and more. For example, the max benefit in 2024 was $292 per month for a 1-person household and $1,756 for an 8-person household. 

SNAP benefits can be used at local stores and farmers’ markets for groceries. Most grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers’ markets, and even online delivery services accept SNAP. Benefits can be used to buy fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and poultry, dairy products, bread and cereals, snacks and beverages, and seeds/plants to grow food. SNAP cannot be used for purchasing alcohol or tobacco products, non-food items like pet food, cleaning supplies, household supplies, hygiene items (including baby formula, diapers, or menstrual products), or vitamins and medicines. 

Anyone can apply to receive SNAP benefits, but to qualify, you must meet specific requirements. Requirements vary by state, but typically, a person’s gross monthly income (household income before any of the program’s deductions are applied) must be 130% below the poverty line, net income (household income after deductions are applied) must be at or below the poverty line, and a person’s assets must fall below certain limits– $3,000 for those without a member of the family over 60 or with a disability, or $4500 for those with such a member.

Additionally, certain groups are not eligible for the SNAP program  regardless of income or assets. For example, individuals who are on strike, all people without a documented immigration status, some students attending college more than half time, certain immigrants with lawful immigration statuses, and certain people with drug-related felony convictions in some states are not eligible. It is best to check your state’s website or your local food bank to see specific requirements for your state and access support with applications.

History of SNAP

The first Food Stamp Program (FSP) began toward the end of the Great Depression in 1939, reaching over 20 million people in the span of just 4 years, totaling $262 million (equivalent to over $5 billion today) in support. Similar to today’s program, FSP was meant to supplement families’ diets. The program included a purchase requirement, where participants purchased “orange stamps” equal to their normal food expenditure, and for every $1 in orange stamps purchased, they would receive 50 cents worth of “blue stamps”. Orange stamps could be used to purchase any food item, while blue stamps were restricted to buying food deemed surplus by the Agriculture Department. The first FSP helped millions of Americans survive the Great Depression and laid the groundwork for the version of food stamps we have today. In 1943, with the economic boom caused by World War II, “the conditions that brought the program into being—unmarketable food surpluses and widespread unemployment—no longer existed,” causing the program to end for the time being.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy revived the program, and President Lyndon B. Johnson made it permanent through his Great Society initiative. Instead of being enacted during a time of economic crisis, this revival was forged during a time of prosperity, and was aimed at eliminating poverty itself. FSP rose to 15 million participants by 1974. The Food Stamp Act of 1977 eliminated the purchase requirement started in 1939, long considered a barrier to participation, and instead, established new regulations for receiving support (eligibility and income guidelines, resource limits, store requirements, etc.), all of which have continued to complicate access to this program.

The Federal government cut FSP in the early 1980s, followed by expansions in the latter half of the decade after a widespread recognition of domestic hunger in the U.S. In 1984, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) was officially introduced as an alternative to traditional FSP, and by 2004, all 50 states, D.C., the Virgin Islands, and Guam, operated statewide, citywide, and territory-wide EBT systems to issue FSP benefits. 

With the passage of the 2008 Farm Bill, the government increased their commitment to federal food assistance programs by more than $10 billion over the span of 10 years. FSP also officially changed its name to SNAP to fight the stigma associated with food stamps. SNAP requirements, eligibility, and education have ebbed and flowed since then, but new cuts passed by the Federal government are by far the largest in the program’s history. 

Why is SNAP Important?

SNAP is a vital program for low-income families and communities, and can greatly improve their economic well-being, “Each dollar in federally funded SNAP benefits generates $1.79 in economic activity.” Additionally, according to data from the Census Bureau, “SNAP lifted 4.6 million people out of poverty in 2015.” SNAP benefits allow people to use their personal income for other basic needs- such as housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare, medicine, etc.- saving them from having to make impossible decisions between those needs and food.

In addition, SNAP has been proven to positively impact participants’ physical and mental well-being. SNAP has been proven to be linked to better health outcomes and lower healthcare costs. Within the last 15 years, research has shown “better self-reported health, lower risk of heart disease and obesity among adults who had access to SNAP as children, and greater medication adherence among older participants, who may also be better positioned to live on their own in their community” for SNAP participants. 

Research on SNAP’s effect on children is clear— it is an essential program that reduces both child and caregiver’s food insecurity and improves health. SNAP is linked to positive outcomes like better nutrition (including improves nutrients like B vitamins, iron, and calcium) and lower risks of anemia, obesity, hospitalizations, and reports of child abuse or neglect. SNAP not only addresses food insecurity for participants, but the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) argues that with the program, “Young children in families participating in SNAP are healthier, grow better, and are more likely to develop well emotionally and academically for their age compared to their peers in likely eligible families not participating in the program.”

Food insecurity is one of the most influential social determinants of health. Meaning, a lack of access to food has a large negative impact on one’s physical health, as well as being linked to higher healthcare costs. However, when receiving SNAP benefits, food security is improved, “SNAP reduces the overall prevalence of food insecurity by as much as 30%.” This gives individuals and families the ability to purchase healthier foods and use personal income towards healthcare costs. 

Aside from just physical health, food insecurity can take a huge toll on one’s mental health. “Food insecure Americans are at a three-times greater risk for both anxiety and depression than those who do not have to worry about having enough to eat.” Access to SNAP, along with increasing eligibility, allows more people to have access to food, and use those funds at their discretion. This can help lessen the stress that comes with food insecurity and the stigma that might be around accessing other food supports, like going to a food pantry. 

In a time of financial uncertainty, inflation, and layoffs, it is more important now than ever to support vital social programs like SNAP, however, the current administration has prioritized cutting federal “costs,” SNAP being the most recent program targeted. 

How does the “Big Beautiful Bill” affect SNAP?

The House and Senate-passed reconciliation plan cuts nearly $300 billion from SNAP through 2034. The Food Research and Access Center pleads that, “These… cuts pose a direct threat to economic resilience, health, school children, farmers, grocers, rural food systems, and community stability across the country.” This plan cuts SNAP by roughly 30%, leaving over 12 million people without access to vital food support. 

[Image source: The Center for American Progress]

Cuts to SNAP Benefits:

1. Shifting administrative costs to states

With this plan, the federal government reduces its share of the administrative costs of SNAP from 50% to 25%- increasing the financial burden on states. This could cause states to shift funds from other public services, reduce states’ capacity to administer SNAP effectively, and possibly delay/strain operations.

2. Expand already-stringent work requirements to qualify for SNAP

SNAP participants will have to prove that they work at least 20 hours a week, otherwise, they can only receive SNAP for 3 months a year. It also raises the work requirement age for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) from 54 to 64. It also changes work requirement caregiver exceptions for people with dependents under 14 years old, as opposed to the previous limit of 18 years old. Similarly, this bill eliminates the current exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans, and certain foster care individuals (those who are 24 years old or younger and were in foster care on the date of attaining 18 years of age or a higher age).

This provision will strip roughly 3.2 million adults a month from receiving SNAP benefits- including 1 million older adults ages 55-64, and 800,000 parents of school-aged children. Research shows that SNAP’s work time limits are not an effective way to increase employment of SNAP participants. Instead, they result in eligible people losing access to needed benefits. 

3. Increased restrictions for non-citizens 

While the plan maintains current eligibility for U.S. citizens, nationals, certain lawful permanent residents, and Cuban nationals, it revokes access to SNAP for people lawfully in the United States under humanitarian protections.

This will end food assistance for 120,000-250,000 people who have already faced intense trauma, including roughly 50,000 children, refugees who have fled persecution, people granted asylum in the U.S., domestic violence survivors, and victims of sex and labor trafficking. Less than 5% of people who receive SNAP are non-citizens. Cutting access to the most vulnerable does very little in reducing the cost of the program.

4. Reevaluating the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP)

The Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) is the lowest of four food plans developed by the USDA. It represents the cost to purchase groceries for a family of 4, designed to meet the nutritional needs of an average person consuming a “healthy, cost-conscious diet at home.” 

The TFP plays a critical role in calculating SNAP benefits amounts for individuals and families. The plan is reevaluated to update SNAP benefits based on food costs. This plan prohibits the USDA from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) based on a reevaluation of the contents of the TFP (i.e., the market basket of goods), and limits benefit reevaluations to be based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. This would prevent the Thrifty Food Plan, and in turn SNAP benefits, from increasing alongside the actual costs of food, risking benefit erosion over time. 

5. Defunding SNAP-Education

SNAP-Education, or SNAP-Ed, is an evidence-based program that helps people receiving SNAP benefits stretch their SNAP dollars, improve their nutrition, and lead healthy lifestyles. SNAP-Ed partners with state and local organizations, making nutrition education and obesity prevention approachable and community-based. 

This plan completely defunds the program beginning after fiscal year (FY) 25, cutting off important programming helping SNAP recipients, especially children, maintain healthier lifestyles.

6. Utility deduction limits and internet cost exclusion

Prior to this bill, SNAP could take into account high utility costs for families when calculating the amount of benefits received. This helped low-income families, especially those living in areas with high costs-of-living. With this plan, utility deductions will only be considered for households with elderly or disabled family members. 

Similarly, this plan eliminates the ability to indicate internet costs as an eligible deduction. This reduces SNAP benefits for low-income individuals and families that rely on internet access for work, education, and health care. 

7. States responsible for funding matching requirements for benefits costs

Historically, as a federal program, states have only been required to contribute to the administrative costs of SNAP (which is also being increased with this plan). However, with this new plan, beginning in 2028, states will be required to contribute towards the cost of SNAP benefits. Specifically, states would be required to match their SNAP payment error rate. 

Based on FY 2023

• States with a 0-6% error rate would owe a 0% match: 7 states (subject to change if these states pass the 6% threshold)

• States with a 6-8% error rate would owe a 5% match: 10 states

• States with a 8-10% error rate would owe a 10% match: 8 states

• States with more than a 10% error rate would owe a 15% match: 26 states (including Washington D.C.)

These matches will significantly increase the cost of participating in SNAP for most states or force states to cut eligibility. This similarly undermines the purpose of SNAP as a federally-funded program.

8. Waiver restrictions

Currently, the USDA can grant work requirement waivers for places with limited job availability. Therefore, in areas with waivers, SNAP applicants do not have to meet the typical SNAP work requirements. However, with the passage of this plan, only areas with more than 10% unemployment will qualify for waivers.

This limits SNAP’s ability to adapt to local economic conditions. Many areas lack employment opportunities but have an employment rate lower than 10%. Without the ability to take into account this nuance, people living in these areas will not have access to food supports they previously would have. 

Now that the Bill has Passed

Now that the bill has passed and cuts to SNAP are inevitable, how can we help those affected? When federal and state programs fail to support the needs of our neighbors and communities, local organizations step in. You can support these local organizations in a few ways:

Your local food bank, food pantries, and food justice organizations are the ones doing the on-the-ground work connecting people with food, helping people apply to SNAP, and connecting them with other social services. You can support these organizations monetarily by donating directly to them, volunteering with these organizations to organize, pack, and distribute food, or donate much-needed food to these organizations. 

The amount and depth of the cuts to SNAP discussed above are daunting and difficult to read. Now is the time to rally around your food insecure neighbors, advocate for those without a voice, and support the organizations doing good work. 

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Glossary

• Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) - are individuals aged 18-54 who are required to meet specific work requirements to receive SNAP benefits for more than three months within a three-year period

• Benefit erosion - refers to the proposed changes to the funding model of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)1. These changes could impact millions of Americans by tightening eligibility and shifting program costs

• Byrd Rule - a legislative rule in the U.S. Senate that restricts the use of budget reconciliation to provisions that have a direct budgetary impact.

• Census Bureau - a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system responsible for producing data about the American people and economy.

• Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers -

•  a monthly measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services

• Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) - is a system that allows participants in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to pay for food using their benefits

• Eligibility - the state of having the right to do or obtain something through satisfaction of the appropriate conditions

• Food bank - a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to individuals and families who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger. Food banks often operate through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens to reach those in need

• Food insecurity - a situation where individuals lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development

• Food pantry - food pantry is a community-based program designed to provide food assistance to hungry individuals and families. It serves as a distribution center where families can receive food, typically supplied by food banks, allowing them to take food home and prepare it

• Great Society initiative - a series of domestic policy initiatives launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice

• Gross monthly income - the total amount of money you earn in a month before any deductions such as taxes, social security contributions, and insurance premiums

• Humanitarian protections - the act of promoting and ensuring the legal rights of people affected by humanitarian crises

• Net monthly income - the amount of money you take home after all deductions, such as taxes and benefits, have been subtracted from your gross income

• Payment error rate - measures two things. First, it measures the percentage of overpayments, which occur when eligible families are paid more than they should be paid in benefits. It also captures underpayments, which are instances in which families are paid less than they should be.

• Poverty line - minimum threshold income level or per capita expenditure required for individuals or families to meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter

• Social determinants of health - non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, including socioeconomic status, education, and environment

• Stigma - a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - the nation's largest domestic food and nutrition assistance program designed to help low-income households afford nutritious food

• The Great Depression - the longest and most severe economic downturn in modern history, lasting from 1929 to the late 1930s, marked by massive unemployment, deflation, and widespread poverty

• Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) - a USDA-developed guideline that estimates the cost of a healthy, budget-conscious diet for a family of four, serving as a basis for SNAP benefits

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - a federal agency responsible for developing and executing policies related to farming, agriculture, forestry, and food

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Sources

1. 2008 farm bill: The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry. 2008 Farm Bill | Senate Committee On Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry. (n.d.). https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/issues/2008-farm-bill

2. A&E Television Networks. (2025, May 27). Great society. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/great-society#War-On-Poverty

3. About. SNAP Education Connection. (n.d.). https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/about#:~:text=The%20Supplemental%20Nutrition%20Assistance%20Program%20Education%20%28SNAP-Ed%29%20is,cook%20healthy%20meals%2C%20and%20lead%20physically%20active%20lifestyles.

4. Author:, & Food and Nutrition Service Public Affairs. (n.d.). The Thrifty Food Plan: What it is and why it matters. Home. https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/thrifty-food-plan-what-it-and-why-it-matters

5. Bergh, K., Rosenbaum, D., & Tharpe, W. (n.d.). House reconciliation bill proposes deepest snap cut in ... Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/house-reconciliation-bill-proposes-deepest-snap-cut-in-history-would-take

6. Bersi, M. (2024, May 10). Snap: Fighting hunger, nurturing mental health. Public Health Post. https://publichealthpost.org/health-equity/snap-fighting-hunger-nurturing-mental-health/#:~:text=Expanding%20SNAP%20benefits%20and%20eligibility%20may%20help%20to,insecurity%20is%20consistently%20linked%20with%20poor%20mental%20health.

7. Bolton, A. (2025a, June). Senate parliamentarian strikes key SNAP spending cuts from GOP megabill. MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-parliamentarian-strikes-key-snap-spending-cuts-from-gop-megabill/ar-AA1H9H4b?ocid=BingNewsSerp

8. Bolton, A. (2025b, June 20). Senate parliamentarian knocks pieces out of Trump’s megabill. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5360488-parliamentarian-rules-bill-trump-agenda/

9. Carlson, S., & Llobera, J. (2022, December 14). SNAP is linked with improved health outcomes and Lower Health Care Costs | Center on Budget and policy priorities. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/snap-is-linked-with-improved-health-outcomes-and-lower-health-care-costs

10. Find your local food bank. Feeding America. (n.d.-a). https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

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13. H.R.1 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): One big beautiful bill act | congress.gov | library of Congress. (n.d.-d). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1

14. Landers, Patti S. The Food Stamp Program: History, Nutrition Education, and Impact Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 107, Issue 11, 1945 - 195

15. Lauren Walcott, Plata-Nino, G., Palmer, S., & Ziegeweid, J. (2017, March 8). The positive effect of SNAP benefits on participants and Communities. Food Research & Action Center. https://frac.org/programs/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/positive-effect-snap-benefits-participants-communities

16. A quick guide to snap eligibility and benefits | center on budget and policy priorities. (n.d.-a). https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-quick-guide-to-snap-eligibility-and-benefits

17. A short history of snap. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.-a). https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/history

18. Plata-Nino, G. (22AD). Part 4- proposed snap cuts: The Health and economic impact on families with young children. Food Research & Action Center. https://frac.org/blog/part-4-proposed-snap-cuts-the-health-and-economic-impact-on-families-with-young-children 

19. Snap state directory of resources. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.-b). https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory

20. Thompson, E. (2024, December 2). Snap increase 2024-2025 chart: New Income Limits and maximum benefit allotments. SRTT. https://srtt.org/us/snap/snap-increase-2024-2025-chart/2133/ 

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