The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food aid to over 42 million Americans each month, faces its largest funding reduction in decades following the passage of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending package, signed into law on July 4. According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the measure will reduce SNAP funding by approximately $186 billion through 2034, forcing states to absorb a share of program costs for the first time in its 61-year history.
Currently, SNAP is federally funded for benefits, with states covering only half the administrative costs. Under the new law, beginning in 2028, states will be responsible for 5% to 15% of benefit costs, depending on their payment error rate — the percentage of benefits issued incorrectly. With the national average error rate at 10.9% in 2024, many states could be required to take on the maximum 15% share. In California, that would mean an additional $1.8 billion in costs by 2028; Ohio could face over $318 million annually.
The law also raises the state share of administrative expenses from 50% to 75%. Counties in states like Ohio, which administer SNAP locally, are preparing for millions in new costs without additional funding. These cost shifts could lead some states to restrict eligibility, cut benefits, or, in extreme cases, terminate the program entirely if they cannot meet budget requirements.
The bill also expands work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. The previous requirement applied to those aged 18 to 54; it now extends to those up to 64, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and certain parents of children aged 14 or older. These individuals must document at least 80 hours of work, training, or volunteering per month to maintain benefits. The Congressional Budget Office projects that over 2 million people could lose SNAP each month due to these changes, including 900,000 adults aged 55–64 and hundreds of thousands of parents.
Legal immigrants with humanitarian protections — including refugees, asylum recipients, and some trafficking victims — will also see their eligibility curtailed. Advocates estimate this will remove tens of thousands from the program.
An additional provision will reduce benefits by eliminating a utility cost calculation method used in determining aid levels. This change will cut benefits by an average of $100 per month for about 600,000 households, affecting over half a million children.
Policy experts warn these combined changes will increase food insecurity, particularly for vulnerable populations. Katie Bergh of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted that SNAP has been instrumental in reducing severe hunger in the U.S., but the new funding structure and restrictions threaten that progress. Food banks, already stretched thin, cannot replace the scale of aid SNAP provides if benefits are reduced or eliminated in certain states.
While the Department of Agriculture has yet to issue detailed guidance on implementing the new rules, the cuts are scheduled to phase in over several years. Advocates urge current recipients to keep their contact information updated to ensure they receive timely notices about any changes to their benefits.
This image is the property of The New Dispatch LLC and is not licenseable for external use without explicit written permission.
