After winning the 2024 presidential election, President Donald Trump pledged to make significant changes to many government programs, including the well-known Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The largest anti-hunger program in America, formerly known as Food Stamps, provides monthly assistance to millions of Americans in need. Under the new administration, Republican lawmakers are proposing several changes to the program.
How could SNAP benefits change under Donald Trump’s administration?
All around the country, low- or no-income households that would otherwise struggle to buy food are given SNAP payments. An average of 42.1 million people, or 12.6% of all Americans, were served by the program each month in 2023. Even though it has been a lifeline for Americans struggling financially, Republicans have also complained about how expensive it is. According to the Pew Research Center, SNAP received $119.4 billion in government spending in fiscal year 2022. The Newsweek website reports that about $113.9 billion was paid out in benefits, with another $5.5 billion going to administrative and other costs. The main goals of Republicans’ comprehensive ideas for the SNAP program are to lower overall costs and address health issues.
Additionally, they advocated for modifications to the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is the method that the US Department of Agriculture uses to determine benefit amounts. Lawmakers intend to reverse former President Joe Biden’s TFP expansion, which resulted in a 23 percent boost in SNAP payments in 2021, according to a paper submitted by House Republicans. The amount that SNAP recipients can receive outside of inflation has been updated every month. This TFP provision will eventually reduce the purchasing power of SNAP payments, which is why Republicans want to repeal it. They claim that Biden violated the 1996 Congressional Review Act by making his decision without consulting Congress.
What are the main new SNAP eligibility changes?
According to current law, states may use something called Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) to provide SNAP benefits to individuals who would not otherwise be eligible. This policy enables individuals receiving assistance from programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to automatically enroll in SNAP. Since some TANF programs are offered to households with earnings higher than those eligible for SNAP, states may let people enroll in SNAP without fulfilling federal eligibility requirements for assets, income, or both. This is why the Republican budget suggests doing away with the BBCE.
Benefits are distributed according to the number of eligible recipients residing in a home under current USDA regulations. Republicans intend to restrict SNAP benefits to a family of six per household. Accordingly, for homes with more than six people, the greatest amount accessible under the current benefit regulations would be $1,390 per month. Currently, able-bodied recipients between the ages of 18 and 54 must certify that they have worked at least 80 hours per month to receive SNAP benefits for more than three months over three consecutive years. Republicans are pushing for a 56-year-old upper limit. It is important to highlight that to accomplish all of this, the Republican budget proposal must go through numerous stages in Congress before any of its plans can become law, and it is expected to face strong opposition from Democratic members.
When will beneficiaries receive their SNAP benefits in February?
- Alabama: February 4 to 23
- Alaska: February 1
- Arizona: February 1-13
- Arkansas: February 4-13
- California: February 1-10
- Colorado: February 1-10
- Connecticut: February 1-3
- Delaware: February 2 to 23
- Washington, D.C.: February 1-10
- Florida: February 1 to 28
- Georgia: February 5 to 23
- Guam: February 1-10
- Hawaii: February 3-5
- Idaho: February 1-10
- Illinois: February 1-20
- Indiana: February 5 to 23
- Iowa: February 1-10
- Kansas: February 1-10
- Kentucky: February 1 to 19
- Louisiana: February 1 to 23
- Maine: February 10-14
- Maryland: February 4-23
- Massachusetts: February 1-14
- Michigan: February 3-21
- Minnesota: February 4-13
- Mississippi: February 4 to 21
- Missouri: February 1-22
- Montana: February 2-6
- Nebraska: February 1-5
- Snowfall: February 1-10
- New Hampshire: February 5
- New Jersey: February 1-5
- New Mexico: February 1-20
- New York: February 1-9
- North Carolina: February 3-21
- North Dakota: February 1
- Ohio: February 2-20
- Oklahoma: February 1 to 10
- Oregon: February 1-9
- Pennsylvania: February 3-14
- Puerto Rico: February 4 to February 22
- Rhode Island: February 1
- South Carolina: February 1-19
- South Dakota: February 10
- Tennessee: February 1-20
- Texas: February 1 to 28
- Utah: February 5, 11 and 15
- Virgin Islands: February 1