The Trump administration’s new requirements for the nation’s largest food aid program went into effect Monday, with the aim of reforming the costly system.
President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised the age limit from 54 to 64 for people who must work, train or volunteer at least 80 hours per month in “qualifying” activities to receive assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The new rules apply to those just joining SNAP or at their next recertification.
The size and scope of SNAP, which supports more than 40 million Americans, came under renewed scrutiny during the government shutdown, as funding for the sweeping food assistance program neared a funding lapse.
In FY2024, SNAP served an average of 41.7 million participants per month — about 12% of Americans — costing taxpayers roughly $99 billion.
TRUMP SAYS SNAP BENEFITS WILL ONLY RESUME WHEN ‘RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS’ OPEN GOVERNMENT
The Congressional Budget Office projects the new requirements will reduce the average monthly number of SNAP recipients by about 2.4 million over the next 10 years.
The Trump administration has claimed that costs for the benefits have grown out of control due to the growing reliance on the program and fraud within the system.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told FOX Business last month that limited data has already uncovered significant misuse, including 186,000 deceased individuals receiving benefits and about 500,000 people collecting SNAP assistance in more than one state.
Rollins said the Trump administration will require all SNAP participants to reapply for benefits in an effort to prevent fraud.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CITES WIDESPREAD MISUSE OF SNAP AS FUNDING LAPSES DURING SHUTDOWN
The Trump administration is also making changes to other federal benefits.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted Friday on X that his department is set to block illegal immigrants from accessing federal benefits.
Bessent said his department will issue proposed regulations clarifying that the refunded portions of certain individual income tax benefits are no longer available to illegal and other non-qualified aliens, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Saver’s Match Credit.
“At @POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are working to cut off federal benefits to illegal aliens and preserve them for U.S. citizens,” Bessent wrote.
Fox News Digital’s Darren Botelho, Amanda Macias and Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
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