Millions Lose SNAP Benefits as a Consequence of the One Big Beautiful Bill 

Following the passage of HR1, better known as President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, in July of last year, more than 3 million people have lost food assistance they had previously received from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The SNAP Program, also known as CalFresh in California, provides monthly food assistance for those living at or below the federal poverty level. This often includes the working poor, the elderly and those who are disabled. A qualifying family of four earns no more than $31,000 per year. They’re provided with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) debit card that can be used at grocery stores and at some farmers’ markets.

Since 1969, the SNAP program, which decades ago was in the form of food stamps, has been a lifeline for those most in need. Over the years, the program has improved the health of infants and children. As a result, the academic performance of children has also improved.

However, with current legislation that has changed eligibility requirements, expanded paperwork, increased work requirements and put more restrictions in place, the number of people eliminated from the program is expected to grow. The new requirements now also apply to older adults 55 to 64 years of age.

“As more parts of the bill take effect, and with other policy discussions that are happening right now, it’s likely another million people could either lose benefits or see them drastically reduced,” said Giridhar Malia, a public health physician and senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Late last month, the Congressional District Health Dashboard released new SNAP participation data for every Congressional district in the United States. This online portal, launched by state agencies and health organizations online, provides a snapshot across the country – district by district – that tracks how those in various regions are doing with health care and their well-being. Information can be readily compared and increases transparency. With the availability of this information, policymakers and the public can track the use of services and data, which can improve public health research.

Data can now be more accessible and compared and can track the impact of federal policies by updating the data twice a year.

Public health officials point out that drastic policy changes shouldn’t be made without the benefit of information.

High-quality data is needed and “key to informing policy change, strengthening accountability and driving collective action,” said Malia.

“We need clear, credible data to ensure that decisions in Washington and across the country reflect the real needs of communities,” Malia emphasized. “No one, especially kids, people with disabilities, veterans or older adults should be left wondering if they can afford their next meal.” 

For those who have lost SNAP benefits – there isn’t a comparable replacement or a likely way to pivot. Compared to the SNAP program, other food sources are insufficient.

“Other government programs, like the WIC program, which is available for pregnant women and young children, are on average much smaller or lower than through the SNAP program,” said Malia. “There are food banks, of course, all across the country that are run through secular, faith-based and other entities, but they cannot meet the need.

“Food banks, food pantries and community giveaways can’t come close to filling the gap that we see when SNAP benefits are lost.

“One way to think about this is that for every one meal that food banks provide, the SNAP program provides nine meals, so the scale is just extraordinarily different,” said Malia. “Many, many states and communities are trying to mobilize and fill in the gaps as best as they can, and that is noble heroic work, but it’s not going to be enough to make up for what we lose through the SNAP program.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill cut almost a trillion dollars from both critical health and food security programs. 

The SNAP program budget was slashed by $187 billion through 2034.

“Our data show that on average, across all congressional districts, more than one in six households in the United States participate in SNAP,” said Dr. Lorna E. Thorpe, methods co-principal investigator of the Congressional District Health Dashboard. Thorpe is also the chair of the Department of Population Health at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

“This underscores that SNAP is a large program in our country’s safety net, supporting low-income families and individuals, and at a high level, what we’re seeing is that SNAP participation remained relatively stable over [the] prior few years.” 

The information can serve to hold policymakers accountable.

Thorpe encourages people to look at the dashboard for themselves. “You know what’s great about it is that it provides more detailed local data, and now it provides an important baseline for SNAP-related policy changes as they go into effect.” 

The dashboard is only three years old, but it has very quickly become a trusted source for congressional staff, for advocates, for researchers and for journalists who are seeking timely district-level data. 

“Policy makers are using the data to better understand how federal programs affect local communities.” 

This information is crucial as the new law shifts significant costs for the SNAP program from the federal government to states. 

States have always shared some of the costs of running the SNAP program. 

Beginning in October of this year, states will have to pay for 75% of the administrative expenses, which used to be 50%, and starting in 2027, most states will start paying a portion of the actual food costs, which could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.