Key facts
- The USDA proposed ending automatic SNAP eligibility for households receiving TANF cash aid, the agency said.
- The USDA's analysis estimates about 6.3 million people, nearly 18% of SNAP recipients, would lose benefits.
- The USDA estimates 1.8 million children would also lose eligibility for free school lunch.
- More than 5.5 million people have lost SNAP benefits since Trump's July 2025 tax law, per USDA data.
- Representative Angie Craig, the House Agriculture Committee's ranking Democrat, called the rule "heartless and cruel."
- The public has 30 days to comment on the proposed rule.
The US Department of Agriculture on November 10 issued a proposed rule that would end automatic eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as food stamps, for households that receive cash aid under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
Under current rules, TANF households qualify for SNAP without meeting federal income thresholds. TANF eligibility varies by state but is generally 130% to 200% of the federal poverty level, while SNAP eligibility is generally 130% of the federal poverty level. The USDA said the change would standardize SNAP eligibility and "preserve benefits for the truly needy."
An agency analysis included in the proposed rule estimates that nearly 18% of SNAP recipients, or about 6.3 million people, would lose benefits. Because SNAP enrollment also confers eligibility for other food aid programs, the USDA estimates 1.8 million children would also lose eligibility for free school lunch.
Enrollment has already fallen. More than 5.5 million people have lost SNAP benefits since President Donald Trump enacted cuts to the program in his July 2025 tax law, bringing enrollment to about 36 million people, according to USDA data. The decline is partly due to states struggling to implement administrative changes and to absorb new costs from the law, Reuters reported.
Democratic Representative Angie Craig of Minnesota, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement that the rule is "heartless and cruel" and would make it harder to meet basic needs. The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposal.