10
Loading video...
By Mark Hooson
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Millions of Americans could lose their automatic access to food stamps as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes changing rules around who qualifies for the benefits.
The USDA has outlined changes to qualifying criteria for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, so that it goes solely to households that meet traditional, low-income thresholds.
Under existing rules, some SNAP recipients qualify because they claim a benefit or service funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. In some cases, this includes noncash benefits, such as access to support hotlines or informational pamphlets.
Read More on News
The proposed changes, set to be published on Tuesday in the Federal Register, would remove automatic SNAP entitlement from 3.2 million households—or 6.3 million individuals—according to the USDA's estimates.
Newsweek has contacted USDA for comment via email outside regular business hours.
Since the children of households receiving SNAP automatically qualify for free school breakfasts and lunches without additional paperwork, the elimination of Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) could also indirectly cause millions of schoolchildren to lose their entitlement to free school meals.
The change would generate savings of more than $44 billion over the five-year period between 2027 and 2031, per USDA analysis.
...
What Are the Proposed Changes?
The department seeks to eliminate BBCE, a policy that applies in 46 States. Many States where BBCE is employed set elevated income thresholds and eliminate asset limits for minor TANF services, allowing claimants to qualify for food assistance without having to pass federal-level checks.
If passed, SNAP would be granted automatically only to households receiving traditional TANF assistance in the form of cash welfare. USDA says expansion of BBCE over the past 10 years has compromised the original intent of categorical eligibility, which Congress passed to reduce paperwork for claimants who had already passed eligibility checks.
The USDA's proposals say there have been instances where millionaires have received SNAP benefits, adding, "It is irresponsible to Congress and the taxpayer to support regulations that permit this practice."
The changes could mean increased administrative workloads for state agencies, which would be tasked with checking the income and assets of potentially millions of claimants who had previously qualified automatically for food stamps as a result of BBCE.
Opposition to Changes
Responding to the proposals, Democratic Representative Angie Craig of Minnesota, the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, urged House Republicans to join Democrats in opposition to the changes.
She said in a news release: "This move by the Trump administration to take food assistance away from millions more elderly Americans and children is heartless and cruel.
"The proposed rule would make it harder to meet basic needs and roll back efforts to streamline federal programs. SNAP is a highly effective and efficient program when it is allowed to work as designed. Unfortunately, the Trump administration and the outgoing Republican majority in Congress have undermined the program's integrity at every turn, harming millions of vulnerable Americans in the process.
"If Congressional Republicans want to be responsive to the needs of American citizens, they can start by joining Democrats in loud and unified opposition to the Trump administration's latest attack on hungry Americans."
Similar changes were attempted in 2019 under the first Trump administration before being withdrawn in 2021 under President Joe Biden. The second Trump administration continues to express concerns about the SNAP program, citing alleged fraud and pushing for reforms to incentivize employment.
Elsewhere, the USDA filed a companion proposal that would write work-requirement changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 into law. This would extend the three-month time limit for adults who do not meet work requirements to include those aged up to 64, rather than 55.
Parents would also be exempt only if they have a child under the age of 14. Previously, the parents of children under 18 had been exempted. Additionally, the proposal ends temporary exceptions for homeless adults, veterans and young adults who have aged out of foster care.
USDA is inviting public comments on both proposals for 30 days before making a decision on how to proceed.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Shakeema Edwards.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines