Alejandro Santillan-Garcia fears losing the food aid that sustains him. The 20-year-old from Austin needs federal assistance after aging out of Texas’ foster care system. However, changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could require Santillan-Garcia to prove employment to retain these benefits.
SNAP, which supports 42 million low-income Americans, faces new rules mandating proof of work, volunteering, or study to qualify for aid. Missing documentation deadlines could result in a three-year loss of support. Initially, states were expected to enforce these measures by Nov. 1, coinciding with the Trump administration’s funding cessation during the government shutdown. This deadline was later extended to December for compliance.
The law restricts exemptions for high-unemployment regions, though legal disputes cause deadline variances. While some states inform residents about the changes, others provide limited compliance time. States face penalties if they don’t enforce the new rules, risking greater program costs.
President Trump enacted the budget and SNAP regulations on July 4. Chloe Green from the American Public Human Services Association noted states needed 12 months to implement these changes. “Able-bodied” individuals must document at least 80 working hours per month or risk losing benefits for three years.
Lauren Bauer of the Brookings Institution says benefit reductions could hit early next year, affecting 2.4 million people over a decade according to the Congressional Budget Office. Employment challenges can hinder fulfilling work requirements, often impacting those who are already struggling.
New regulations extend work requirements to those aged 55-64 and caretakers of children 14+, also eliminating exemptions for veterans, homeless, and former foster youths like Santillan-Garcia. Brooke Rollins, Agriculture Secretary, aims to reform SNAP by requiring reapplications to curb fraud, although specifics are pending. As she mentioned to Newsmax, SNAP should serve the truly vulnerable.
Confusion around these changes may increase hunger, as some recipients struggle with compliance. The Urban Institute found 1 in 8 adults lost aid due to paperwork issues, with state errors contributing to this loss.
Pat Scott, from the Beaverhead Resource Assistance Center, assists with public aid applications. Despite limited resources, Scott highlights system errors leading to coverage loss. In Missoula, Jill Bonny of the Poverello Center finds that documentation challenges among the homeless could lead to more older Americans facing homelessness.
A federal ruling in Rhode Island required the Trump administration to deliver full SNAP payments during the shutdown and delayed work requirement enforcement in regions with existing waivers. Some states, like New Mexico, have counties with staggered compliance timelines.
Santillan-Garcia and his partner relied on food pantries and non-profit grocery cards during the shutdown. He fears losing his SNAP benefits in February without former foster care exemptions. As Texas authorities have yet to communicate the new requirements, Santillan-Garcia is concerned about securing long-term assistance.
He remains hopeful, praying for a solution if employment remains elusive, yet worries about losing essential support. “They’ll probably take it away from me,” he commented.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Changes to SNAP removed work-requirement exemptions for:
- People ages 55 to 64.
- Caretakers of dependent children 14 or older
- Veterans
- People without housing
- People 24 or younger who aged out of foster care
WHAT SNAP PARTICIPANTS SHOULD DO:
- Check with public assistance organizations to find out when the new rules go into effect in your region. Your benefits may be checked at recertification, but you may be required to meet the monthly work reporting rules long before that.
- Let your state know if you’re responsible for a dependent child younger than 14 who lives in your home; pregnant; a student at least half the time; attending a drug or alcohol treatment program; physically or mentally unable to work; a Native American; or a caretaker of an incapacitated household member. If so, you may still be exempt.
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