New SNAP Proposal Could Cause Millions to Lose Benefits

Help with groceries and meals at school can both make a difference in a family’s monthly budget. A new proposal to tighten SNAP eligibility could affect how some households access both forms of support.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to narrow a policy that lets families qualify for SNAP through certain benefits provided by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. The agency estimates that about 6.3 million people would lose SNAP benefits under the change.

Under the proposal, families could no longer use certain TANF-funded services as a pathway into SNAP. Those households would instead need to meet the program’s standard eligibility rules unless they qualify through another permitted route. USDA says the change would reserve assistance for households meeting federal income and resource requirements.

The effects could also extend to children’s meals at school. Children in SNAP households can qualify automatically for free school meals. USDA estimates that nearly 1.8 million children would lose that automatic eligibility if their households lose SNAP.

That does not mean all those children would lose access to affordable school meals. The agency estimates that roughly 97 percent would still qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on income, but families could need to complete a separate application. Some eligible children could miss out if that paperwork is not completed.

For parents, the proposal could therefore mean both less grocery assistance and additional steps to keep meal support for their children.