The One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump, with the legislation having passed both the House and the Senate on thin vote margins, largely drawn around partisan lines.
Alongside controversy related to the bill’s overall cost, measures concerning taxation and other issues, a debate over the changes being made to SNAP benefits is also ongoing.
So, what exactly does Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill mean for SNAP recipients?
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SNAP Requirements: States May Shoulder Costs, Able-Bodied Age Requirements Shift
According to CBS News, two of the most notable shifts involve the funding of the SNAP program itself as well as a change to the age requirements for able-bodied recipients to meet work requirements.
On the first note, SNAP is currently funded entirely by the federal government. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, that remains the case — at least for states reporting an error payment rate (which includes errors related both to overpayments as well as underpayments) below 6%. States which post error payment rates over 6% will be required to foot between 5% to 15% of program costs, until they fall within guidelines.
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On the second file, the current SNAP eligibility standard is that able-bodied adults between 18 and 54 must met work requirements. Trump’s bill pushes the upper end of that age range up to 64, with certain exemptions for parents. Alaska and Hawaii may be able to acquire waivers concerning the work requirements, should they display a “good faith effort” at compliance.
For its part, the White House offered the following rejoinder to criticisms:
“Only 28% of able-bodied adults on SNAP work. The One Big Beautiful Bill promotes work, responsibility and restores SNAP to serve the truly needy. SNAP enrollment remains high even in a strong economy, including millions of able-bodied adults who could work. In fact, almost three-quarters of able-bodied adults without dependents on SNAP have no earned income. The mission of the program has failed. SNAP was intended to be temporary help for those who encounter tough times — we are strengthening this program to serve those who need it most.”
Thrifty Food Plan, Under SNAP, Must Be ‘Cost Neutral’
Per the Urban Institute, the One Big Beautiful Bill also stipulates that the Thrifty Food Plan, under the auspices of SNAP, must be cost neutral. That plan is one of four USDA-developed food plans that estimates the cost of a healthy diet across various price points.
Essentially, as the Urban Institute argues, the changes to the plan mean that the USDA cannot “adjust the calculation for SNAP benefits outside of adjustments made for inflation,” meaning that a SNAP plan which does not already address the benefit needs of recipients may be further hampered in terms of desired increases.
SNAP Benefits No Longer Available to Certain Refugee Groups
The Urban Institute continued to underscore the fact that eligibility for SNAP benefits could be withdrawn for “lawfully residing humanitarian immigrants.”
Global Refuge outlined the changes introduced by Trump’s bill, which “amends federal law to shorten the list of eligible populations for SNAP. The only groups who remain eligible for SNAP are U.S. citizens, certain U.S. lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association citizens from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau,” rendering many refugees ineligible for SNAP moving forward.
The organization noted that asylees, victims of trafficking, people granted a withholding of removal and other certain demographics would no longer be eligible for SNAP benefits due to the introduction of the bill’s Section 10108.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: What Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Could Mean for SNAP Benefits
