Millions of Americans may be impacted as Trump-backed SNAP work mandates roll out

Starting February 1, work requirement changes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will take effect in several states nationwide, which could make millions of Americans lose their benefits. According to a Fox Business report, able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 64, who don't have children depending on them, will have to work, participate in employment programs, or volunteer for 80 hours a week to earn SNAP benefits. That said, affected people will have a three-month grace period every three years, during which they can receive benefits without meeting the changed requirements. 

These changes, which were implemented on Sunday, raise the age exemption bar from 55 to 64 for the first time, while parents with children who are 14 or above are also expected to meet the requirement stated above in order to earn SNAP benefits. Homeless people, veterans, and adults aged 18 to 24 who recently got out of foster care were also removed from the exemption group and are expected to work for their benefits. Additionally, only permanent US citizens can receive SNAP benefits, while others legally present in the United States, like those who have qualified for conditional entry under the asylum and refugee program, won’t be eligible.

Apart from the work requirement changes, Sunday’s implementation makes several other tweaks to SNAP, which help limit future benefit increases and alter how certain living expenses are counted when calculating monthly aid. These changes will reduce the benefits over time, even for those who remain eligible throughout. In fact, back in August 2025, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that these changes would lead to about 1.1 million people losing SNAP benefits in the next 10 years. 

SNAP, which is America’s largest federal assistance program, was already a pain point for the second Trump administration, and there was real fear of benefits being stopped permanently during the government shutdown of 2025. Although a bill ended the shutdown and restored funding after several lawsuits, Trump had already planned several major changes and budget cuts for the program. In fact, these recent changes to SNAP were already outlined in Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law last July. 

Naturally, with millions of Americans set to lose benefits, there has been considerable criticism of the recent rule changes. Per an ABC News report, Joel Berg, CEO of the nonprofit Hunger Free America, spoke up against the changes, claiming, “Millions of people will unnecessarily be kicked off the rolls. They will lose the food they need, and sometimes family members need. More Americans will go hungry.” He further talked about vulnerable groups like the homeless and veterans being excluded, insisting that it will be especially difficult for them to not only get jobs but also prove to the government that they are meeting the requirements for the benefits. 

However, the US government has a different point of view, believing SNAP benefits should be used as a temporary crutch to help citizens get back on their feet rather than as a permanent solution for survival. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins drove the point home further on a Fox Business interview, where he said, “The American dream is not being on [a] food stamp program," Rollins said. "The American dream is not being on all these programs. That should be a hand up, not a handout. ... As of yesterday, we have moved 1.75 million people off of SNAP.”

That said, despite the strict requirements, areas with high unemployment do have some flexibility to work around the new law. The Fox Business report states that counties may apply for waivers if their unemployment rate goes over 10%. Similarly, Alaska and Hawaii have the added flexibility of suspending these work requirements if their unemployment rate reaches 1.5 times that of the national average. 

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