In 2025, Congress and the President passed a law that makes big cuts to SNAP and tightens the rules, which will lower benefits and make it harder for some people to qualify. The law expands work and time limits to adults ages 18–64, including many parents of older teens, limits future benefit updates tied to the Thrifty Food Plan, and shifts more costs to states—pressures that can lead to more red tape and denied help. During the fall 2025 government shutdown, the administration chose not to use emergency funds at first, putting November SNAP and many WIC benefits at risk until lawsuits and stopgap moves followed. USDA also let several states ban buying items like soda and candy with SNAP, adding stigma and new hurdles without fixing food affordability. Many Republican-led states refused Summer EBT in 2025, which meant millions of children lost summer grocery help, including in Texas. Looking ahead, the administration’s FY2026 budget plan would sharply cut WIC fruit-and-vegetable benefits for moms and young kids. Overall, these actions reduce food assistance, increase barriers to access, and shift more of the burden onto states and families.
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The FY2025 budget reconciliation law (P.L. 119-21) was signed July 4, 2025 and is estimated by CRS (drawing on CBO) to cut federal SNAP spending by nearly $187 billion over FY2025–FY2034, with provisions expected to reduce household benefit amounts and make it harder for some people to qualify. (congress.gov)
The law expands SNAP’s time-limit/work-requirement population to ages 18–64 and to parents whose youngest child is 14–17, while narrowing waiver criteria. The takeaway? More paperwork for families. (congress.gov)
The law restricts USDA’s ability to update the Thrifty Food Plan above inflation, limiting future benefit levels tied to the TFP. (congress.gov)
The law shifts some benefit costs to states with high SNAP error rates and raises states’ share of SNAP administrative costs from 50% to 75%, increasing state pressure to cut the program (congress.gov)
Major outlets reported the package’s food-aid cuts as it moved and passed: Senate GOP leaders advanced what the Post called the largest safety-net cuts in decades, and the House-passed final bill included about $185 billion in food assistance reductions. (washingtonpost.com)
On Oct. 24, 2025, the administration said it would not tap available emergency funds to cover November SNAP benefits during the shutdown, risking disruptions for roughly 42 million recipients. (politico.com)
On Oct. 28, 2025, 25 states sued USDA to compel release of emergency funds to prevent a SNAP halt, underscoring the imminent loss of food aid. (politico.com)
WIC faced acute shutdown peril: early October reporting warned federal support could run out within 1–2 weeks, forcing states to cut or pause benefits and consider waitlists. (washingtonpost.com)
In June 2025 USDA approved waivers for Arkansas, Idaho, and Utah (following Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska) to prohibit SNAP purchases of items like soda and candy, a sharp departure from longstanding national rules. (reuters.com)
Policy analysts warn such item bans stigmatize participants and create substantial administrative burdens for households, retailers, and states without solving affordability—the core barrier to healthy diets. (cbpp.org)