Trump Administration Proposes Massive SNAP Cuts Affecting Millions Under New Eligibility Rules
The USDA plans to restrict SNAP food stamps for 6.3 million people by ending categorical eligibility, potentially cutting $44 billion in spending.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — The Department of Agriculture is moving to reduce food stamp assistance for millions of additional households under a new policy proposal.
The proposed changes, intended to reach full implementation by 2029, target the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This program was previously a primary focus of the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Eliminating “broad-based categorical eligibility” has been a long-standing objective for Republicans. The specific policy shift was also detailed in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 framework for President Trump’s second term.
A notice set for the Federal Register this Tuesday indicates the administration intends to limit the authority of states to enroll residents in SNAP if those individuals already qualify for other federal assistance.
Data from the USDA suggests this shift could impact 6.3 million individuals and 3.2 million households by the 2029 fiscal year.
A spokesperson for the USDA stated that broad-based categorical eligibility has bloated the welfare rolls for decades.
The official further argued that the system allowed states to take shortcuts and caused error rates to balloon, providing those with income and assets far above federal limits access to a benefit meant for the neediest among us. Correcting this loophole is long overdue.”
The USDA projects the proposal could reduce SNAP expenditures by approximately $44.649 billion over the five-year span from 2027 to 2031.
If implemented, an estimated 17.6 percent of current SNAP participants would lose their access to benefits.
The program originated in May 1939 as the Food Stamp Program. President Lyndon B. Johnson made it permanent in 1964, and it was rebranded as SNAP in 2008.
The program faced scrutiny during the first Trump administration, which attempted to limit certain aspects before they were later reversed by the Biden administration.
In 2025, the Trump administration successfully implemented SNAP cuts through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, resulting in up to 5 million people losing their benefits.
The OBBBA increased work requirements for the program and shifted certain cost responsibilities to the states. The legislation also mandated a 12 percent reduction in Medicaid funding.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
