SNAP work requirements expand in December; benefits resume
Expanded SNAP work requirements take full effect in December, with the temporary waiver lifted and the three‑month clock on benefits for those not meeting work rules fully in force, while Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA plans to have all recipients reapply now that the government has reopened (the agency did not clarify whether that goes beyond normal recertification). The changes expand who is subject to work rules — including people ages 55–64 and some parents of children 14–18 — limit state waiver flexibility, and the CBO estimates they could reduce enrollment by about 2.4 million on average per month over the next decade.
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📌 Key Facts
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she plans to have all SNAP recipients reapply now that the government has reopened; the USDA did not clarify whether this reapplication is beyond standard recertification.
- The administration waived SNAP work requirements in November; the three-month clock on benefits for recipients not meeting work rules will be fully in force starting in December.
- Expanded groups now subject to work requirements include people ages 55–64 and some parents of children ages 14–18.
- States will have only limited flexibility to waive the expanded work rules.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimates the policy changes will reduce SNAP participation by roughly 2.4 million people on average per month over the next 10 years.
📚 Contextual Background
- A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies, causing many federal services to pause and some employees to be furloughed.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal nutrition assistance program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
- SNAP benefits are distributed electronically through state Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) systems and vendors.
- When federal appropriations lapse, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can use contingency funds to issue SNAP benefits and may apply a pro-rata reduction formula to benefit amounts to reflect limited funding.
- Federal SNAP proration rules specify that when benefits are prorated the maximum benefit amount is reduced by 35% and households of the same size have their benefits reduced by the same dollar amount.
- In 2024, SNAP provided assistance to about 41 million people, nearly two-thirds of whom were families with children.
📰 Sources (2)
More SNAP recipients face work requirements: What to know
New information:
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she plans to have all SNAP recipients reapply now that the government has reopened; USDA did not clarify whether this is beyond standard recertification.
- The administration waived work requirements in November; the three‑month clock on benefits without meeting work rules will be fully in force starting in December.
- Reminder of expanded groups subject to work rules (including ages 55–64 and some parents of children ages 14–18) and limited state waiver flexibility, with CBO estimating a ~2.4M average monthly reduction over 10 years.