Over 2.4 million individuals potentially face losing their food assistance under Trump's policy change, which expands job demands, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
In a significant shift, President Donald Trump's agenda law has expanded work requirements for food stamps (SNAP), leading to a reduction in the number of Americans receiving food assistance benefits.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, an estimated 2.4 million fewer people will receive SNAP each month due to these new rules [2]. The law broadens work mandates, requiring parents of children aged 14 and older, adults aged 55-64, veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster care youth to meet work, volunteer, or training requirements for benefits [2].
This change is expected to impact a large number of individuals. Approximately 300,000 adults living with children aged 14 and older are projected to lose coverage monthly, along with about 300,000 others losing benefits or eligibility and around 96,000 children receiving smaller subsidies due to states potentially reducing benefit levels in response to added costs [2].
Certain states are particularly hard hit. For example, Florida expects 1,653 families to lose all SNAP benefits, and many others to see significant reductions averaging $79 to $184 per month [1].
These work requirements also increase administrative burdens and costs for states, potentially causing further reductions in participation and benefits, especially impacting vulnerable populations like older adults and those with disabilities who may face challenges complying with new mandates or paperwork [4].
The expanded work requirements may affect more than 5 million SNAP participants, including 800,000 children, representing approximately 1 in 8 current participants losing or having reduced benefits [5].
In addition to the changes in food stamps, the law's Medicaid measures are forecast to lead to 10 million more Americans without health insurance by 2034 [6]. The highest earners (with incomes of nearly $700,000) will see a $13,600 jump in their incomes, while middle-income Americans (earning about $86,000) will get an $800 bump [3]. However, the lowest-income households (earning less than $24,000) will see their projected incomes drop by about $1,200 a year, mainly from reductions in benefits like Medicaid and food stamps [6].
The story has been updated with additional details, including the fact that certain states will have to pay a share of food stamp benefit costs for the first time, potentially leading to reduced benefits or exit from the program [7]. The law also makes it harder for states to receive waivers during difficult economic times [7].
Sources:
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/florida-could-lose-more-than-1-000-snap-benefits-under-trump-n1030136 [2] https://www.cbo.gov/publication/55241 [3] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/15/tax-bill-would-give-biggest-breaks-to-the-wealthiest-people-and-corporations.html [4] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/27/18117136/food-stamps-work-requirements-trump-tax-bill [5] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/07/us/politics/food-stamps-work-requirements.html [6] https://www.cbo.gov/publication/55240 [7] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/us/politics/food-stamps-work-requirements.html
