If you depend on SNAP benefits to help feed yourself or your family, you may want to pay attention to this. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has warned that millions of Americans could lose their food assistance because of changes recently signed into law under President Donald Trump. These are not small tweaks. They are rules that could hit many households—especially low-income ones—very hard.
How many people could lose snap benefits
The CBO says about 2.4 million people every month could lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. This includes families with children, older adults, and even veterans. Here is a breakdown:
- Around 300,000 parents with kids aged 14 or older are at risk each month.
- Adults between 55 and 64 years old, veterans, homeless people, and former foster youth are also affected.
- The original plan would have cut off 3.2 million people, but changes to the proposal brought that number down to 2.4 million. Still, this is a massive loss for many households.
What new rules are changing eligibility
The law expands work requirements and tightens who can get help. Here is what is different now:
- Parents with children 14 or older must work, volunteer, or take job training at least 80 hours a month to keep benefits.
- People aged 55 to 64, veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster youth are no longer automatically exempt from work rules.
- The only group exempt from these rules is Native Americans.
If you do not meet these requirements, you could lose your benefits even if you are struggling to put food on the table.
How states sharing costs could affect snap
For the first time, some states will have to help pay for food stamps if they make too many payment errors. Starting in 2028, states with an error rate of 6% or more must cover 5% to 15% of SNAP costs. This could push states to cut benefits, add more restrictions, or even drop out of the program altogether.
The CBO estimates this could cause another 300,000 people to lose benefits and reduce assistance for about 96,000 children in school meal programs.
Impact on household budgets
These changes will hit low-income families the hardest.
- Households making less than $24,000 per year could lose about $1,200 annually in income between 2026 and 2034.
- Middle-income households, earning around $86,000 a year, may see an average gain of $800.
- The wealthiest households—earning nearly $700,000 a year—could get an average boost of $13,600.
Economist Justin Wolfers says the richest 10% of Americans will get 63% of the total benefits from this legislative package, while the poorest 60% will get just 4%.
Connection to other social program cuts
SNAP is not the only program being affected. Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are also facing changes that will leave millions without health coverage.
- New Medicaid work requirements could leave 5.3 million people uninsured by 2034.
- When combined with Affordable Care Act changes, the total number of uninsured Americans could rise by 10 million by that year.
These losses mean that many families could be without both food assistance and health coverage at the same time.
Why advocates are concerned
Food insecurity experts say this is not just about numbers—it is about real people. Gina Plata-Niño, acting director of SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center, put it plainly:
“People are trying to make ends meet. They will be hungrier and sicker without this assistance.”
For families already living paycheck to paycheck, losing even part of their SNAP benefits could mean making impossible choices between groceries, rent, and medical care.
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