The nation’s largest food aid program is about to see cuts. Here’s what you should know.

The Trump administration’s overhaul of the nation’s largest food assistance program will result in millions of people losing benefits, straining state budgets and straining the nation’s food supply chain, all while potentially hampering the goals of the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform, according to researchers and former federal officials.

Permanent changes will be made to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regardless of the outcome of at least two federal lawsuits seeking to block the government from cutting SNAP benefits for November. The lawsuits challenge the Trump administration’s refusal to release emergency funds to keep the program running during the government shutdown.

A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the government to use these funds to continue the SNAP program. A Massachusetts judge in a separate lawsuit also said the government should use emergency food aid funds to pay for SNAP, but gave the Trump administration until November 3 to come up with a plan.

Amid this uncertainty, food banks across the United States have braced for a surge in demand, with millions of people likely to be cut off from the food program that helps them buy groceries.

On October 28, a load of spaghetti, tuna and other groceries arrived at the Gateway Food Pantry in Arnold, Missouri. It may be Gateway’s last shipment for a while. The South St. Louis food pantry largely serves families with school-age children, but has already exhausted its annual food budget due to the increase in demand, Executive Director Patrick McKelvey said.

New Disabled South, a Georgia-based nonprofit that advocates for people with disabilities, announced that it is offering one-time payments of $100 to $250 to individuals and families who were expected to lose SNAP benefits in the 14 states it serves.

Less than 48 hours later, the nonprofit received more than 16,000 applications totaling $3.6 million, most of them from families, far more than the organization received in funding.

“It’s unreal,” said co-founder Dom Kelly.

The threat that SNAP funding will lapse is a preview of what will happen when changes to the program included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump in July take effect.

The Domestic Tax and Spending Act cuts $187 billion over the next decade from the SNAP program. This represents a roughly 20% decrease from current funding levels, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The new rules shift many food and administrative costs to states, which could prompt some to consider withdrawing from the program, which helped about 42 million people buy groceries last year. Separate from the new law, the administration is also pressing states to limit SNAP purchases by banning things like candy and sodas.

All of this “puts us in uncharted territory for SNAP,” said Cindy Long, a former deputy undersecretary of agriculture who is now national counsel at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

The country’s first food stamps were issued at the end of the Great Depression, when poor residents could not afford farmers’ produce. Today, instead of stamps, recipients use debit cards. But the program still supports farmers and food retailers and prevents hunger during economic downturns.

The Central Bank of Oman estimates this About 3 million people You will lose food aid as a result Several provisions In the budget law, including applying work requirements to more people and shifting more costs to the states. Trump administration leaders have supported the changes as a way to reduce waste Put more people to workAnd to Improve health.

This is the largest reduction in the SNAP program in its history, and comes against the backdrop of rising food prices and a fragile labor market.

The exact toll of the cuts will be difficult to measure, due to the Trump administration Finished the annual report Which measures food insecurity.

Here are five big changes coming to SNAP and what they mean for Americans’ health:

1. Do you want nutritional benefits? It will be difficult to get them.

Under the new law, people will have to submit more paperwork to get SNAP benefits.

Many recipients are already required to work, volunteer, or participate in other qualifying activities for 80 hours per month to get money from their benefit cards. New law Extends those requirements For previously exempt groups, including the homeless, veterans, and youth who were in foster care when they turned 18. The expanded work requirements also apply to parents with children 14 or older and adults ages 55 to 64.

Starting November 1If recipients fail to document each month they meet the requirements, they will be limited in SNAP benefits for three months in A period of three years.

“This is extremely cruel,” said Elaine Waxman, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research group. About 1 in 8 adults reported they lost SNAP benefits because they had problems filing their paperwork, according to Urban Institute survey in December.

to be sure RefugeesAsylum seekers and other legal immigrants are excluded from SNAP entirely under the new law.

2. Countries will have to provide more money and resources.

The federal law dramatically increases what each state must pay to maintain the program.

Until now, states have needed to pay only half of the administrative costs and none of the food costs, with the federal government covering the rest.

Under the new law, states bear 75% of administrative costs and must cover a portion of food costs. This amounts to an estimated increase in the average cost to states of more than 200%, according to a report By Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality.

A KFF Health News analysis shows that one funding shift related to the cost of food could put states on the hook for an additional $11 billion.

All states participate in SNAP, but they can opt out. Around June Twenty Democratic governors He wrote to congressional leaders warning them that some states would not be able to provide funds to continue the program.

“If states were forced to end their SNAP programs, hunger and poverty would increase, children and adults would get sick, rural grocery stores would struggle to stay open, people in agriculture and the food industry would lose their jobs, and state and local economies would suffer,” the governors wrote.

3. Will the changes lead to healthier eating?

The Trump administration, through its Make America Healthy Again program, has made healthy eating a priority.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr And he defended Restrictions on the purchase of soft drinks and candy under the food assistance program. yet, 12 states received approval To limit what people can buy with SNAP dollars.

Federal officials previously blocked such restrictions because they were difficult for states and stores to implement and they reinforced stigma around SNAP, according to 2007 USDA report. In 2018, she assumed the first Trump administration A bid from Maine was rejected To ban sugar-sweetened drinks and candy.

A store may decide that the hassle isn’t worth participating in the program and withdraw from it, leaving SNAP recipients with fewer places to shop.

People who receive SNAP are no more likely to buy sweets or salty snacks than people who shop without receiving benefits. According to the US Department of Agriculture. Research shows that encouraging healthy food choices is essential More effective Instead of organizing purchases.

When people have less money to spend on food, they eat more often Resorting to cheaper and unhealthy alternatives Which keeps them full for longer instead of paying for expensive foods that are healthy and fresh but quickly perish.

4. How will SNAP cuts affect health?

Advocacy organizations working to end hunger in the country say the cuts will have long-term health impacts.

Research has found that children in families with limited access to food They are more likely To have a mental disorder. Likewise, food insecurity is linked to… Decreased math and reading skills.

People of working age who are food insecure They are more likely To experience a chronic illness. Which Long list includes High blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

These health issues come with costs for individuals. Low-income adults who are not in SNAP You spend an average of $1,400 More than a year on health care of those who are.

About 47 million people They live in households with limited or uncertain access to food in 2023.

5. What does this mean for the country’s food supply chain?

SNAP spending directly boosts grocery stores, their suppliers, and the transportation and agriculture industries. Additionally, when low-income families receive food assistance, they are more likely to spend the money on other needs, such as prescriptions or car repairs. All of this means that every dollar spent through SNAP generates at least $1.50 in economic activity. According to the US Department of Agriculture.

This was estimated by a report issued by associations representing convenience stores, grocery stores and the food industry It could cost grocers $1.6 billion To comply with new SNAP restrictions.

Advocates warn that stores may pass the costs on to shoppers, or they may close their doors.

KFF Health News It is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF – an independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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