What Happened?

If you receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the rules for who qualifies, how much you get, and how the program is funded have all changed under a new federal law. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, expanded work requirements, tightened eligibility for some immigrants, and shifted more costs to states, according to a Legis1 review of a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. ​

The law made several concrete changes:

  • Work-requirement age range: The three-month time limit for able-bodied adults who don't meet work or training requirements now applies to adults ages 18 through 65, including parents whose youngest child is 14 or older.
  • Exemptions removed: Veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster children age 24 or younger no longer qualify for automatic exemptions from work requirements.
  • Immigrant eligibility: The categories of lawfully present immigrants who may qualify for SNAP have been narrowed.
  • Benefit calculation: Future updates to the formula that sets maximum SNAP allotments are now capped at inflation.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects the average monthly SNAP benefit will fall by $14 per person by 2034, dropping from $227 under prior law to $213.

A separate Urban Institute analysis estimates all 22.3 million families currently receiving SNAP nationwide would lose some or all of their benefits once the law is fully in effect. About one in four of those families, roughly 5.3 million, would lose at least $25 per month, with an average monthly reduction of $146 in that group.

States are also taking on a larger share of costs: the federal government's contribution to state administrative expenses dropped to 25 percent effective Oct. 1, leaving states to cover the remaining 75 percent. Beginning in fiscal 2028, states may also be required to share part of the cost of benefits themselves, depending on their payment error rates.

Both Sides, Now

The law expands work requirements and shifts more program costs to states.

Opponents say the changes will cut food access without reliably increasing employment. The Urban Institute estimated in August 2025 that nearly 700,000 young adults could lose some or all of their SNAP benefits each month, and noted that evidence shows work-reporting requirements reduce SNAP access without increasing work or wages.

The Trump administration has approved state requests to limit which foods SNAP recipients may buy in 18 states as of Sept. 25, but a federal district court overturned earlier approvals for five states on June 22, and the administration filed an appeal on Aug. 20.

What Happens Next?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is still issuing guidance on work requirements, immigrant eligibility, and other provisions, and that rulemaking remains ongoing.

Revised retailer stocking requirements apply beginning Nov. 4. Nebraska submitted a new waiver request for food-purchase restrictions after its earlier approval was vacated, and the administration filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Aug. 20.

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