The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to remove millions of people from SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, and other government assistance programs for vulnerable families through a new proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A USDA impact analysis estimates that more than 6 million people could lose SNAP benefits and roughly 2 million would be eliminated from receiving free school meals if families do not fit new income eligibility requirements.
The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to remove millions of people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, and other government assistance programs for vulnerable families, according to a new proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
An impact analysis by the USDA estimates that more than 6 million people could lose SNAP benefits and roughly 2 million would be eliminated from receiving free school meals if families do not fit new income eligibility requirements.
The proposal comes as part of the administration's broader push against fraud in food assistance programs. Last week, the Justice Department announced that its fraud division helped uncover nearly $42 million in schemes targeting food benefits, with investigations ranging from identity theft to retailers illegally exchanging cash for food benefits.
Separately, the USDA last week released a proposed rule that would require all states to adopt chip-enabled EBT cards for SNAP and require retailers that accept SNAP benefits to have payment terminals that support tap-to-pay. The USDA's Food and Nutrition Administration, which administers SNAP, attributed card skimming as a reason behind the proposal.
According to the USDA, fewer than a third of states have made the switch to chip-enabled cards or are in the process of doing so. The USDA Office of Inspector General projected in January that SNAP theft could climb to $233 million between 2025 and 2026, largely as a result of skimming, and a recent investigation found that $470 million was stolen electronically from SNAP recipients last year.
"These proposed changes will protect SNAP benefits from thieves and ensure benefits are accessible by approved households," the Food and Nutrition Administration said in its summary of the rule. The proposal also recognized the financial barrier for states: according to the Government Accountability Office, chip-enabled cards are about 10 times more expensive to produce than their magnetic stripe counterparts.
The USDA said the card rule has been in the works for nearly four years and estimates the changes will reduce stolen benefits by at least $1.5 billion over the next decade. Asked whether it would consider providing funding to help states upgrade their card technology, the department said that "for years, States had access to administrative funds to stop this egregious abuse of taxpayer resources. Yet few acted."
The public has 60 days to submit comments on the card proposal before the USDA publishes a final rule. The department is considering giving states a two-year deadline from that publication date to implement the rule, but it also welcomed input on whether that is enough time.
The proposal that would drop millions from SNAP and other assistance programs is a developing story. Further details on its scope and the public review process are expected.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); USDA Food and Nutrition Administration; USDA Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Justice; Government Accountability Office