USDA proposes tighter SNAP eligibility rules
The gist
USDA proposed restricting how states use TANF to set SNAP eligibility, estimating 6.3 million could lose benefits.
The change would also affect school meal and summer food aid for children.
How it unfolded
- Nov 10, 2026USDA publishes a proposed rule in the Federal Register to tighten SNAP eligibility by restricting how states use TANF participation, ending broad-based categorical eligibility.
- Nov 10, 2026USDA estimates about 17.6 percent of SNAP participants — 3.2 million households or 6.3 million individuals — would lose benefits in the rule's first year in effect.
- Nov 10, 2026USDA's regulatory impact analysis projects 3.2 million households and 6.3 million individuals losing benefits in fiscal year 2029, when changes reach full effect, and $44.6 billion in reduced federal SNAP payments over fiscal years 2027-2031.
Key terms
- SNAP
- A U.S. federal program providing food-purchasing assistance to low- and no-income people, formerly called food stamps.
- TANF
- A U.S. federal block grant to states that funds cash assistance and other services for needy families.
- Federal Register
- The official daily journal of the U.S. federal government publishing agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices.
Source: Wikipedia