SNAP will have new work requirements starting Feb. 1 and many could lose benefits
New work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are set to go into effect on Feb. 1 and it could mean that millions of Americans lose their benefits.
Nearly 42 million Americans, including low-income families and vulnerable households, rely on the federal program to help pay for groceries or other household essentials.
However, under President Donald Trump's megabill that was signed into law in July, work requirements were amended for certain Americans to receive benefits for more than three months over three years, which is the time limit.
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Under the megabill, the upper age limit for those who need to meet work requirements was raised from age 54 through age 64 for the first time for able-bodied adults without dependents.
Additionally, exemptions were changed for parents or other family members with responsibility for a dependent under 18 years old, lowering the age of exemptions to those caring for children under 14 years old.
"Millions of people will unnecessarily be kicked off the rolls," Joel Berg, CEO of the nonprofit Hunger Free America, told ABC News. "They will lose the food they need, and sometimes family members need. ... More Americans will go hungry. Soup kitchens and food pantries and the food banks that supply them will not have the resources to meet this need."
According to August 2025 estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, about 1.1 million people will lose SNAP benefits between 2025 and 2034, including 800,000 able-bodied adults through age 64 who don't live with dependents and 300,000 parents or caregivers up to age 64 with children aged 14 and older.
An additional 1 million people who are able‑bodied adults ages 18 to 54 -- or 18 to 49 starting in 2031 -- who do not live with dependents but would have received a waiver from work requirements could also lose benefits.
Exemptions were also removed for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults who were in foster care when they turned age 18 under the megabill.
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Berg said it could be very difficult for these populations to not only get jobs but provide the documentation to prove to the government they are meeting work requirements.
"It will be extraordinarily difficult for them, and they are among the most vulnerable Americans already," he said. "Some of the most vulnerable populations -- homeless people, veterans and young people who just left foster care -- are going to lose their food, lose their groceries and there is no plan in place to fix that."
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The CBO estimates that while there will be reductions in SNAP participation among these groups, they will be partially offset by the increases in participation among American Indians, who received exemptions under the megabill.
Supporters of the work requirements have said they are necessary to combat waste, fraud and abuse. SNAP benefits are administered under the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) by the Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in an interview on Fox Business on Friday that SNAP benefits are meant to be used temporarily and not long term.
"The American dream is not being on [a] food stamp program," Rollins said. "The American dream is not being on all these programs. That should be a hand up, not a handout. ... As of yesterday, we have moved 1.75 million people off of SNAP."
In a statement sent to ABC News, a USDA spokesperson noted that state agencies "must prepare to enforce the time limit in areas without waivers."
"The Department remains committed to providing technical assistance to state agencies, including guidance and state-specific assistance, to ensure successful implementation of the time limit, the subsequent work requirement, and most importantly, helping eligible recipients move from welfare to work, education, or training opportunities," the spokesperson said.
Data from the 2023 American Community Survey shows the majority of American families receiving SNAP benefits had at least one family member working in the past 12 months.
However, work requirements can reduce program participation. A 2021 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research found SNAP work requirements could lead to up to 53% of eligible adults exiting the program within 18 months.
"These work requirements aren't really about promoting work. They're about dehumanizing people and attacking the 'other,'" Berg said. "Most SNAP recipients are pro-work, and most SNAP recipients are already working, or children or people with disability or older Americans. So all this is sort of a diversionary debate."
