Why It Matters
Changes to federal food assistance are expanding work requirements, restricting eligibility for some immigrants and shifting more program costs to states, while federal agencies continue implementing the new rules.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's (SNAP) eligibility rules, work requirements and funding structure have shifted substantially, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is still issuing guidance to implement those changes, according to an updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. In fiscal 2025, the program served an average of 42.4 million individuals per month at a total federal cost of $102.6 billion, about 93% of which went directly to benefits.
Before the new law took effect, SNAP benefits averaged approximately $187 per person per month in fiscal 2024. The average rose to $187.94 in fiscal 2025, according to USDA. However, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that changes to how benefits are calculated will reduce average monthly benefits by $14 per person by 2034, from the $227 expected under prior law to $213 under the new law.
A separate Urban Institute analysis estimates that all 22.3 million families receiving SNAP nationwide would lose some or all of their benefits when the legislation is fully implemented. Of those, 5.3 million families would lose at least $25 per month, with an average monthly reduction of $146 among that group. The analysis estimates that the law will reduce federal SNAP spending by $186 billion over a decade.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, expanded work requirements, tightened immigrant eligibility, and introduced state benefit cost-sharing scheduled to begin in future fiscal years.
The Big Picture
The OBBBA extended SNAP's three-month time limit for able-bodied adults who do not meet work or training requirements to cover adults ages 18 through 65, including adults whose youngest dependent child is 14 or older. It also removed earlier exemptions for veterans, homeless individuals and former foster children age 24 or younger. The law further reduced the categories of lawfully present immigrants who may qualify for SNAP benefits.
The law also changed how SNAP benefit amounts are calculated. It restricted future revisions to USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, which determines maximum SNAP allotments, limiting increases associated with those revisions to inflation. CBO estimates this change will reduce the average monthly benefit by about 6.2% in 2034 compared with what recipients would have received under the previous law. Separate changes to deductions for household expenses, including internet and energy costs, are also expected to reduce benefits for some households.
The Urban Institute's analysis found that more than 230,000 families in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area would lose some or all of their SNAP benefits under the law. Approximately 50,000 of those families would lose at least $25 per month, with an average reduction of $187 per month among that group, compared with $146 nationally. The institute estimated that 26,000 families with children and 33,000 working families in the region would lose at least $25 in monthly benefits. Among families losing at least $25, the average reduction would be $107 for families with children and $153 for working families.
The projected reductions also vary geographically. Families in the District of Columbia losing at least $25 per month would face an average monthly reduction of $231, compared with $164 in the Maryland portion of the metropolitan area and $154 in its Virginia portion. The institute warned that reductions could increase demand at local food banks and community organizations as families struggle to afford groceries.
The Trump administration has solicited and approved state requests to limit the foods SNAP recipients may purchase. As of Sept. 25, approvals covered 18 states, with restrictions varying by state and some projects scheduled to begin later. A federal district court vacated earlier approvals for Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia on June 22 in Aragon v. Rollins, 836 F. Supp. 3d 46 (D.D.C. 2026), pausing those projects amid litigation. The administration filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Aug. 20. Nebraska subsequently submitted a new waiver request.
A final rule updating retailer stocking standards took effect July 7, with revised requirements applying beginning Nov. 4. Retailers qualifying through the staple-food inventory standard must now stock at least seven varieties in each of four staple-food categories, including perishable foods in all four categories, rather than three varieties in each category with perishables in at least two.
The Bottom Line
Beginning in fiscal 2028, with possible later implementation for some states, states may be required to share part of SNAP benefit costs depending on their payment error rates. Until that OBBBA provision takes effect, SNAP benefits remain 100% federally financed. The federal share of state administrative costs fell to 25% effective Oct. 1, leaving states responsible for the remaining 75%.
USDA guidance and rulemaking on work requirements, immigrant eligibility and other provisions remain ongoing. Alongside the new eligibility and funding rules, projected reductions in average benefits will further reshape the program, with CBO estimating that recipients will receive $213 per month on average by 2034 instead of the $227 projected under previous law. Urban Institute estimates suggest that millions of families, including working households and families with children, could face substantially larger reductions or lose eligibility altogether.
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