Politics
USDA Moves to Strip SNAP Eligibility From 6.3 Million People
The Trump administration is reviving a plan to end broad-based categorical eligibility for SNAP, a change the USDA estimates would affect 6.3 million people in fiscal year 2029. The proposal, long sought by Republicans and outlined in Project 2025, would require low-income Americans to take extra steps to qualify for food aid.
WASHINGTON â The Agriculture Department is moving to tighten eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation's largest anti-hunger initiative, in a change that could push millions of Americans off food assistance.
The Trump administration will propose ending a policy known as "broad-based categorical eligibility," which allows states to enroll people in SNAP if they qualify for certain other assistance programs, according to a notice scheduled for formal publication Tuesday in the Federal Register. The USDA estimates the change would affect 6.3 million people in fiscal year 2029, the first year the proposal is expected to reach full effect.
Ending broad-based categorical eligibility has been a long-standing goal of Republicans and was included in the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 blueprint for the second Trump administration. The policy currently lets states streamline SNAP enrollment by linking it to eligibility for programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, reducing paperwork for both applicants and administrators.
Under the proposal, low-income people would have to take additional steps to qualify for SNAP, potentially creating new administrative hurdles for households already navigating complex benefit systems. Critics argue the change would increase food insecurity and burden state agencies, while supporters say it would tighten eligibility standards and reduce program costs.
The notice is set to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, opening a public comment period before any final rule takes effect. The proposal is likely to face legal and political challenges, given the scale of its impact on millions of Americans who rely on SNAP to put food on the table.