Sweeping changes to the federal food stamp program — formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — will begin taking effect this November under the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The reforms, which cut $187 billion in federal SNAP funding through 2034, represent one of the largest structural shifts to food assistance in decades.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), these updates will alter eligibility rules, expand work requirements, and transfer more administrative costs to state governments. Roughly 2.4 million Americans are expected to lose SNAP benefits in an average month once the changes are fully implemented.
Expanded Work Requirements
Under the new law, SNAP recipients will still need to work at least 80 hours per month to continue receiving benefits beyond three months in any three-year period. However, the age range for this requirement has expanded significantly.
Previously, the work rule applied to adults aged 18 to 54. Now it will extend up to age 64, effectively adding an entire decade’s worth of recipients to the mandate.
There are exceptions for individuals unable to work due to physical or mental limitations. But key exemptions that once shielded certain groups have been rolled back.Parents with dependent children, for instance, were previously exempt from work rules if their children were minors. Under the new framework, only parents with dependents aged 13 or younger will qualify for that exemption.
The bill also removes work requirement exemptions for people who are homeless, veterans, and young adults (24 and under) who aged out of foster care — all of whom were previously protected categories.
