For families who rely on SNAP, grocery assistance helps make room in the budget for rent, utilities and other essentials. A new Trump administration proposal could take that support away from millions of Americans.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 6.3 million people in 3.2 million households would lose SNAP benefits if the proposed eligibility changes take full effect. The agency expects the full impact in fiscal year 2029.
The proposal would change how some families qualify for SNAP through another assistance program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. Currently, states can use certain TANF-funded benefits and services to help establish a household’s eligibility for grocery assistance.
USDA wants to narrow that pathway to families receiving qualifying TANF assistance for ongoing basic needs. Receiving other TANF-funded services would no longer be enough to qualify through that route.
For affected families, this would mean having to meet SNAP’s standard federal income and asset limits. Some households that qualify under their state’s current rules would lose assistance because their earnings or savings exceed those limits.
USDA says the change would better target benefits to households meeting federal eligibility standards. Critics warn that it would make feeding a family harder.
The proposal comes after millions of Americans have already stopped receiving SNAP. Between the One Big Beautiful Bill’s enactment in July 2025 and July 2026, SNAP enrollment fell by about 5.5 million people. The law expanded work requirements and made other cuts to the program.
The proposal has not taken effect. USDA is accepting public comments through December 10, 2026, before deciding how to move forward.
