USAupdated 21m ago2 min read
USDA Proposed Ending SNAP Categorical Eligibility Could Cut Benefits for 6.3 Million
“Some families, particularly those with immigrant members, are afraid to fill out government paperwork”
“USDA defended the proposal, saying it would reduce federal SNAP spending by nearly $45 billion”
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6.3 million Americans could lose SNAP benefits under the rule. Automatic SNAP eligibility ends for noncash TANF recipients; cash TANF only qualifies.
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SNAP eligibility narrowed
The US Department of Agriculture proposed ending “broad-based categorical eligibility,” a policy that lets states approve some SNAP applicants receiving other public aid, which could cause roughly 6.3 million low-income Americans to lose food stamp benefits in fiscal year 2029. The proposed rule would curb automatic SNAP eligibility for households receiving cash aid under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, while households receiving other TANF-linked benefits would no longer qualify without meeting federal income or resource limits.
The proposal would also affect children’s nutrition, with USDA estimating that about 1.8 million children would no longer be automatically eligible for free school meals if the rule is finalized. USDA’s analysis said the change would reduce federal SNAP spending by nearly $45 billion and state spending by $5.2 billion over five years, and the agency defended the move as “Correcting this loophole is long overdue.”
Paperwork and fear
Advocates said the proposed rule would increase the paperwork burden on enrollees and state agencies, which could ensnare eligible participants and lead to their losing benefits. Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP policy & advocacy director at the Food Research & Action Center, argued, “Instead of helping families, the administration is making life harder for them,” and she added, “These are working families.”
Ali Hard, policy director at the National WIC Association, said the USDA stopped measuring food insecurity last year, making it harder to track Americans’ ability to feed themselves and their families. The USDA estimates that 16,500 pregnant women, mothers, infants and children would have to apply for WIC, while another 5,500 participants would no longer be eligible under the proposed changes.
Congressional response and timing
Reuters said the Trump administration moved on Tuesday to cut millions more Americans from SNAP, and it reported that the public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed rule. Democratic Representative Angie Craig of Minnesota, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, called the rule “heartless and cruel,” and she said, “The proposed rule would make it harder to meet basic needs and roll back efforts to streamline federal programs.”
“The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed rule.”
The proposal comes as SNAP enrollment has fallen by more than 5 million people, including an estimated 2 million children, since President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The Trump administration proposed a similar rule ending “broad-based categorical eligibility” in 2019, but the Biden administration withdrew it in 2021, and the new proposal is set to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday.