(NEXSTAR) – With the government shutdown finally over, states are working to get food assistance flowing again. They’re also working to implement new restrictions and cuts to who can qualify for SNAP benefits.
When Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill over the summer, it made several changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including who qualifies to get help paying for groceries. The changes are expected to squeeze some people out of the program as federal spending on it is cut by an estimated $186 billion over the next decade.
The grace period to comply with the new provisions was set for Nov. 1, but confusion reigned as the program shut down temporarily. Some states scrambled to cover benefits, while others sent out nothing for nearly two weeks.
USDA head says ‘everyone’ on SNAP will now have to reapply
As things returned to normal, the United States Department of Agriculture, which runs SNAP, stood by the November deadline on Friday and issued new guidance for states on how to comply. Here’s what to know about the changes to SNAP this year.
New work requirements and fewer exceptions
A big change to the program has to do with ABAWDs – or able-bodied adults without dependents. Put simply, able-bodied adults need to prove they are working at least 80 hours a month, pursuing an education, or in a training program to keep qualifying for SNAP. Without proof, they can only receive benefits for a maximum of three months.
Before the One Big Beautiful Bill changes, there were several key exceptions to this work requirement. Before, it only applied to adults 18 to 54. Now, any able-bodied adults under 65 have to prove they are working to continue receiving benefits.
Parents who were responsible for a dependent under 18 also used to be exempt from the work requirements, but now an exemption only applies to adults responsible for a dependent under the age of 14.
Veterans, homeless individuals, and young adults transitioning out of foster care also all used to be exempt. Now, all these groups need to meet the work requirements.
On the other hand, there is a new exception to work requirements being put in place for “Indians, also referred to as Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Indigenous Peoples, and Tribal Members” as defined under the law.
While all of these changes were effective immediately when the law was enacted on July 4, the Food and Nutrition Service gave states 120 days to implement the changes without being penalized for their errors. That deadline for full implementation expired on Nov. 1.
Immigrant SNAP eligibility
The One Big Beautiful Bill also changes “non-citizen eligibility for SNAP,” including cutting off some people who are in the country legally.
According to new guidance from the USDA, only the following groups can qualify for SNAP: U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, Cuban and Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association (COFA) citizens. COFA is a financial assistance agreement between the U.S., Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
Lawful permanent residents, also known as Green Card holders, are only eligible for SNAP after a 5-year waiting period, as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. Some Green Card holders can qualify sooner, if they are under 18 or “have a U.S. military connection,” for example.
Refugees, those who have been granted asylum, and human trafficking survivors will all lose benefits, says Oregon’s Department of Human Services, in a memo announcing the changes.
The cost of not complying
Another key provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill requires states to manage SNAP more accurately or risk losing funding. While SNAP is paid for by federal dollars, it’s administered by the states.
Starting with the 2028 fiscal year, states with an error rate of higher than 6% will start losing federal funding for the program. As of Nov. 1, as the implementation grace period ends, every mistake will be counted.
SNAP benefits will soon be tied to error rates. These states are in the biggest trouble
States who scrambled to get partial benefits out to recipients during the government shutdown will have those payments show up as “errors.”
“By issuing multiple benefits in a month, it messes with the system. It messes with the sampling methods for quality control,” Chloe Green, assistant director of policy at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), told The Hill. “If every case you have in November is an error, you can’t even catch up in the rest of the year to lower your error rate.”
And most states have a long way to go before meeting the 6% error rate target. If the reform were to take effect immediately, only eight states would make the cut and receive full funding. Nationwide, the average error rate was close to 11% last year.
As a result of the cost shift, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that some states will end up reducing or eliminating SNAP benefits for about 300,000 people.
