Trump Administration Proposes SNAP Rule Cutting Benefits
Proposed SNAP Rule Cuts Benefits
The Trump administration released a proposed rule to eliminate broad-based categorical eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, cutting benefits by $50.82 billion, according to the regulatory impact analysis.
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Key Clinical Takeaways:
- An estimated 6.3 million individuals across 3.2 million households will lose their SNAP benefits entirely under the proposed rule.
- Child nutrition programs face substantial disruption, with 1.78 million children losing automatic categorical eligibility for school meals.
- Administrative costs will rise significantly, with federal and state spending on program overhead projected to increase by over $1.2 billion combined.
Ranking Member Craig Condemns USDA Proposal
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig released a statement slamming the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal, calling the move to strip food assistance from millions of elderly Americans and children heartless and cruel.
This move by the Trump administration to take food assistance away from millions more elderly Americans and children is heartless and cruel,
said Ranking Member Craig.
The proposed rule alters how states utilize broad-based categorical eligibility. This option currently allows states to streamline enrollment for individuals who already qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or similar state benefits due to similar eligibility requirements.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration and the outgoing Republican majority in Congress have undermined the program’s integrity at every turn, harming millions of vulnerable Americans in the process,
said Ranking Member Craig.
Federal and State Spending on SNAP Benefits Will Fall
The Trump administration’s regulatory impact analysis projects that federal spending on SNAP benefits will fall by $44.65 billion over five years from fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year 2031. State spending on benefits will drop by $6.17 billion during the same window.
| Fiscal Impact Category | 5-Year Projection (FY2027-FY2031) |
|---|---|
| Federal Benefit Reductions | $44.65 billion |
| State Benefit Reductions | $6.17 billion |
| Federal Administrative Increases | $309.5 million |
| State Administrative Increases | $928.5 million |
| Participant Burden Increase | $71.7 million |
Administrative burdens will shift costs onto participating households and state agencies. Administrative expenses for running the program will climb by $1.24 billion overall over five years.
Affected families make up 17 percent of all current SNAP households. The increased burden on participants is estimated at approximately $71.7 million over the five-year projection period.
Effects on School Meals and Supplemental Programs
The rule’s ripple effects extend beyond standard food assistance into federal school meal programs. A total of 1.78 million children will lose automatic categorical eligibility for school meals.
Of the affected children, 97 percent will likely remain eligible for meals but will need to complete an onerous paperwork process to maintain them. An additional 93,000 children will move from free to reduced-price school meals.
Meanwhile, 28,000 children will lose free school meals entirely and face full pricing. Starting in the summer of 2029, 42,000 children will no longer receive Summer EBT benefits known as Sun Bucks.
Administrative hurdles will cause an estimated 13,000 of those children to lose benefits they technically qualify for simply due to not applying. Furthermore, 5,500 women, infants, and children will be removed from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
One Big Beautiful Bill Legislation Reduces SNAP Benefits
Forty-six states currently opt to use broad-based categorical eligibility due to its positive impacts on participants and program administration. That number has climbed steadily each year.
An estimated 5.5 million Americans have already lost SNAP benefits since the implementation of the legislation known as One Big Beautiful Bill. That total includes roughly 2 million children.
If Congressional Republicans want to be responsive to the needs of American citizens, they can start by joining Democrats in loud and unified opposition to the Trump administration’s latest attack on hungry Americans,
said Ranking Member Craig.