Nov. 10 (UPI) — The Trump administration proposed new restrictions on food stamp eligibility Tuesday that could eliminate benefits for an estimated 6.3 million Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The proposed rule would tighten eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by limiting the circumstances under which families receiving other government assistance automatically qualify for food benefits.
The USDA estimates approximately 3.2 million households, representing 6.3 million people, would lose SNAP benefits once the changes take full effect in fiscal year 2029.
That’s about 17.6% of SNAP participants, according to the agency’s regulatory impact analysis.
The proposal would restrict a policy that allows states to use participation in certain Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, programs to establish eligibility for SNAP.
The USDA said the revisions would help ensure that federal food assistance reaches households that meet income and resource requirements established by Congress.
The agency estimates the changes would reduce federal SNAP benefit spending by approximately $44.6 billion over five years, from fiscal 2027 through 2031.
The USDA said the changes could affect eligibility for school meal programs.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., the ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, criticized the proposal as “heartless and cruel,” The Hill reported.
“The proposed rule would make it harder to meet basic needs and roll back efforts to streamline federal programs,” Craig said in a statement obtained by The Hill.
Craig said restricting SNAP eligibility could affect access to other federal nutrition programs, including assistance for women, infants and children.
The proposal follows earlier changes to SNAP under President Donald Trump’s tax and spending legislation, which reduced projected federal spending on the program and expanded work requirements.
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