Let me tell you about Loceny Kamara
Picture this: you serve your country, you come home with scars you can’t see, and then you’re left to fend for yourself. That’s what happened to Loceny Kamara, a 23-year-old Navy veteran.
Kamara was discharged in 2023 after developing severe anxiety, nightmares, and alcoholism while on base. He fought his way through rehab and stayed sober for a while, but after losing his job as a security guard in December, he was kicked out of his family home.
Now, Kamara lives in a veterans’ homeless shelter in Queens, New York. To survive, he relies on food stamps — officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — and the occasional odd job.
But soon, even that lifeline could disappear.
What’s changing with SNAP?
Every month, about 42 million Americans get help from SNAP to put food on the table. Since 1996, most able-bodied adults without children have been required to work to keep those benefits. Veterans, however, were exempt — until now.
A massive law signed by President Donald Trump on July 4 ends that exemption. Starting in 2026, veterans will need to prove they’re working, training, volunteering, or job-hunting at least 80 hours a month to keep receiving SNAP beyond three months.
Miss the mark? You’re cut off.
The argument behind the change
Supporters of the new rule — mainly Republicans in Congress and conservative policy makers — say it’s about stopping abuse of the system.
Robert Rector, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, claims the rules have never been enforced properly. He argues that people who could work should work, even if they’re veterans or homeless. “There’s no chronic food shortage here,” he says, pointing to the availability of free food banks. To him, this is simply a nudge in the right direction.
Why critics are worried
Critics say that view ignores reality. Many veterans can’t just walk into a job interview and get hired. Some live with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, or physical disabilities. Others simply can’t find work — even when they try.
Kamara, dressed neatly for yet another security guard interview, said it plainly: “I’m pissed. I can’t get a job. Nowhere to live. I’ve been out of work for eight months.”
Veterans like Darryl Chavis, 62, know the struggle well. After two years in the Army, Chavis came home “severely depressed.” He was later diagnosed with PTSD, making steady work difficult. “I’m in transition,” he said. “The obstacles don’t make it easy.”
How many veterans depend on SNAP?
The numbers are staggering. Around 1.2 million veterans — about 8% of all U.S. veterans — use SNAP to feed themselves or their families.
- California: about 115,000 veterans on SNAP
- Florida and Texas: nearly 100,000 each
- Georgia: about 49,000
- New York: around 22,000 veterans could lose benefits
These are people who wore the uniform, yet between 2015 and 2019, about 11% of veterans ages 18 to 64 lived in food-insecure households.
More than just work rules
The law doesn’t stop at stricter requirements. It also cuts SNAP funding by $186 billion through 2034. States, which previously paid only a small share to run the programme, will now have to cover 5% to 15% of costs starting in 2028.
In New York, that could mean $1.4 billion more every year. In California, up to $3.7 billion.
Gina Plata-Nino, from the Food Research & Action Centre, says this is a deliberate move: “This has been a strategic agenda to dismantle SNAP and blame states for doing so.” In other words, Washington is passing the buck — and the bill.
Will food banks fill the gap?
Some argue that veterans who lose benefits can turn to food banks or charities. But Barbara Guinn, who oversees SNAP in New York, doesn’t think so. “We do not think those organisations will have the capacity to pick up the needs,” she said.
SNAP works because it gets food directly into people’s hands. Without it, Guinn says, states will face an administrative nightmare. Even people who are working may find it hard to prove it every single month. “One month you have hours, the next month your employer cuts them,” she explained. “There’s no automated system to track this easily.”
What veterans are saying
Veterans’ advocates are sounding the alarm. Kaitlynne Yancy, a former Navy sailor who used food stamps while raising a child and battling leukaemia in her family, calls the change heartbreaking.
“It’s frustrating,” Yancy says. “These are people who were willing to put everything on the line for their country — and now their country is telling them to prove they’re worthy of food.”
The road ahead
The new rules take effect in 2026, but states are already bracing for the impact. If veterans can’t meet the strict requirements, they’ll lose their benefits. If states can’t handle the costs, programmes may shrink even further.
So here’s the truth: this isn’t just a policy tweak — it’s a fundamental shift. It risks leaving thousands of veterans, like Kamara and Chavis, wondering where their next meal will come from.
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And it leaves one big question hanging: is this really how we repay people who’ve already sacrificed so much?
