GOP, Trump Tax Cut Plan Puts SNAP Food Benefits at Risk

A sign at a grocery story reads - We Accept SNAP

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 20 May 2025

The nation’s largest anti-hunger program could soon face its most significant funding rollback in history to offset President Donald Trump’s massive tax cuts bill.

House Republicans revealed the budget proposal for their partisan megabill, which some policy analysts warn would “eviscerate” the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Critics say the funding would be used to finance tax breaks that disproportionately benefit the richest Americans.

The tax plan, also known as Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” is currently moving through the U.S. House of Representatives and calls for gutting the public-benefits program by nearly $300 billion over the next decade.

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The life-saving program, formerly known as “food stamps,” helps over 40 million families with low incomes afford groceries each month. That’s about 1 in 8 people, including 1 in 5 children.

“This would be the largest SNAP cuts in history by far, which would result in food being taken away from the hungry,” wrote Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress (CAP).

The cuts to SNAP would come at a time of rising food insecurity and food prices.

Overall, the cost of food is expected to increase 3.5% this year. Experts warn that Trump’s sweeping tariffs on our closest trade partners will drive up the costs of canned food and other produce.

Here’s what you need to know about the potential changes coming to SNAP.

How does SNAP work

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is an anti-hunger program that helps over 40 million U.S. low-income families, older adults, veterans, and folks living with disabilities afford grocery costs.

The federal government fully funds SNAP benefits, while state governments contribute 50% of the program’s administrative costs.

Eligibility for the program is based on income and household size. Each state designs its own SNAP application process, and you can apply for benefits in person, online, or by mail.

Folks eligible for SNAP receive an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card.
On average, SNAP participants in 2025 receive about $187 per month or $6.16 per day.
Households may use it to purchase food at more than 261,000 retailers authorized to participate in the SNAP program.

You cannot use SNAP to purchase alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, vitamin supplements, or non-food grocery items. Additionally, you’ll have to reapply for the benefit program every six to 12 months. Older adults and people with disabilities must reapply every 12 to 24 months.

The GOP looks to defund food stamps

Image shows a sign that reads: SNAP and EBT Accepted here. SNAP and Food Stamps provide benefits to help the budgets of disadvantaged families. — SNAP and Food Stamps provide benefits to help the budgets of disadvantaged families. The nation's largest anti-hunger public program faces significant cuts under Trump's proposed tax cuts legislation.

Republican lawmakers are considering several changes to the nation’s largest nutritional assistance program to fund President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax agenda.

GOP members of the House Agriculture Committee have proposed at least $290 billion in cuts to SNAP over the next decade. That would defund the public program by nearly 30%, according to the Center for American Progress (CAP).

The provision would call on states to shoulder a portion of the federal benefit program’s costs, expand the age at which work requirements apply, and require applicants to be U.S. citizens or green card holders to be eligible. It would also prevent future administrations from increasing SNAP benefits beyond inflation.

The stricter work requirements for SNAP would also limit the eligibility of many.

Under current law, able-bodied adults ages 18 to 54 without dependents must work at least 20 hours per week to receive SNAP benefits beyond three months.
Republicans have proposed increasing the age limit for adults required to work to 64 years of age.
Under current law, those with dependents under 18 are exempt from having to meet SNAP work requirements — 80 hours a month.
The new provision would lower the exemption to include only caregivers of children under 7.

Anti-hunger advocates argue that the cuts are short-sighted and would make it harder for certain parents and caregivers of children as young as seven to access food.

“This fails to recognize the barriers that caregivers and older adults face in the workforce,” said Jason Gromley, senior director for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign, in a statement.

Why Republicans want to cut SNAP benefits

Republicans advocating to cut SNAP said the provisions aim to reinforce work and root out waste. In short, they believe that more folks should work to get assistance and that the federal government is overspending on the public assistance program.

This comes as studies show that strict work requirements do not increase employment.

A statement released by GOP lawmakers from the House Committee on Agriculture, which oversees SNAP funds, said that overall costs for the program had increased to $110 billion annually, up from $60 billion in 2019.

Rolling back $290 billion in SNAP funds over a decade would allow Republican lawmakers to extend and temporarily enhance certain tax cuts from Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which is set to expire by the year-end.

Late Sunday, House Republicans advanced the One Big Beautiful Bill Act out of the Budget Committee and delayed their vote on Trump’s tax and budget megabill on Friday, according to Politico, and will most likely change some provisions included in the bill in the coming days as the bill moves through the House.

Food security matters

Workers pack boxes for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program at The Orange County Food Bank in Garden Grove, CA on Friday, May 9, 2025. The program serves about 25,000 local lower-income seniors. The program could lose federal money if the Trump administration's preferred 2026 federal budget becomes law.

Gutting the federal aid program would add further pressure to food banks, as some already report shortages caused by high demand.

It’s worth noting that Republican states could feel the worst impact from the proposed $290 billion cut to SNAP, as government data shows their residents and those in rural communities are more likely to rely on the program.

“Our food bank network is gravely concerned about the impact these debilitating cuts will have in our state,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. “Families across Texas are already struggling to find affordable food and healthcare, pay their rent, and put gas in the car.”

The GOP’s proposal to change SNAP could also destabilize your state’s budget.

The GOP proposal includes a cost-share plan, which would require states like Texas to pay up to 25% of food benefits and raise the state’s administrative costs from 50% to 75%.
That means the Texas Legislature would have to front over $1 billion a year to keep the program afloat.

“A vote for this bill will result in more kids facing hunger – in every state, in every community, in every zip code,” said Gromley, with the No Kid Hungry campaign.

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Gabriella Cruz-Martínez is a seasoned finance journalist with 8 years of experience covering consumer debt, economic policy, and tax. Before joining Kiplinger as a tax writer, her in-depth reporting and analysis were featured in Yahoo Finance. She contributed to national dialogues on fiscal responsibility, market trends and economic reforms involving family tax credits, housing accessibility, banking regulations, student loan debt, and inflation.

Gabriella’s work has also appeared in Money Magazine, The Hyde Park Herald, and the Journal Gazette & Times-Courier. As a reporter and journalist, she enjoys writing stories that empower people from diverse backgrounds about their finances no matter their stage in life.