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US food programme cuts squeeze budgets tighter

The Trump administration’s cuts to the SNAP programme will disproportionately harm children, older adults, people with disabilities, and working families, experts estimate.

On 8 September, the Trump administration’s policy change to US tax law took effect, restricting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that provides financial support to low-income households.

It comes after the Budget Reconciliation Baw was passed by a majority of Republicans in Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in July.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) anticipates that SNAP cuts are expected to affect an average of 2.4 million consumers monthly over the next nine years, from 2025 through to 2034.

Disruption to the provision of these federal benefits comes in large part from the expansion of SNAP time limits. Under the new budget reconciliation package, consumers reliant on the food aid programme to pay for their groceries will now only receive the monthly financial support if they are unable to meet the requirement to work 20 hours of paid work per week.

“SNAP is one of the most effective tools the US has to reduce hunger and support households with low incomes,” Gina Plata-Nino, interim SNAP director for the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), told Ingredients Network.

Food stamp cuts will affect millions

According to the CBO’s findings, restricting SNAP eligibility will disproportionately harm children, older adults, people with disabilities, and working families.

“The far-reaching consequences of President Trump’s newly enacted Budget Reconciliation Bill (HR 1) will be felt in every corner of the country,” Plata-Nino said.

FRAC, a non-profit organisation that aims to end hunger in America, said that the SNAP cuts will make food more unaffordable for many households.

“Nowhere is this impact more critical than in rural America, where food insecurity, economic stagnation, and limited access to services intersect to create deep vulnerability,” said Plata-Nino.

The cuts will also harm child nutrition programmes, with the CBO estimating that, on average, subsidies offered to families through this programme will drop for approximately 96,000 children and cut around $170 million from the support provided.

SNAP losses are expected to have a detrimental effect on consumers already struggling with the rising cost of living, hitting those on low incomes the hardest. The Labour Department reported consumer prices increased by 2.7% in the year to June, up from 2.4% in May and growing at the fastest rate since February.

A growing economic burden

From an economic perspective, the CBO estimates that the new bill will add $3.3 trillion (€2.8 trillion) to the US’s national debt over the next 10 years.

For the first time, under the new provisions, US states are required to pay a portion of the SNAP benefits. Funding these benefits on a state-by-state basis is in addition to having to fund 75% of the cost to administer the programme.

As such, FRAC anticipates there will likely be higher taxes and fewer services, resulting in some states exiting the SNAP programme entirely.

Findings support calls to reverse cuts

Research from New York University published in August shed light on the widespread impact of proposed cuts to the SNAP programme, exploring how online financial incentives can break down barriers to food accessibility.

“SNAP supports 41 million Americans and drives grocery retail sales. Cutting benefits would hurt families and the food economy alike,” Angela Trude, assistant professor of nutrition at the university’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, told Ingredients Network.

Specifically, a reduction in the programme’s far-reaching support could reduce consumers’ already-vulnerable food security.

“Losing SNAP-Ed is also concerning – it gave families the tools to make healthier choices with their SNAP dollars and on a tight budget,” Trude added.

Plata-Nino added: “Beyond the headlines, these changes threaten to destabilise families, shutter small businesses, and weaken local economies.”

The CBO is urging the US Congress to reverse SNAP reductions over the coming months and “prioritise building a nation free from hunger”.