Overview
- After a 43-day federal shutdown, the USDA says December SNAP benefits will be issued on each state's regular schedule following the funding bill signed by President Donald Trump.
- The OBBBA law is now in effect, requiring most able-bodied adults ages 18–64 without dependents in the home to complete at least 80 hours per month of work, training, volunteering or job search or face the three-month-in-three-years time limit.
- Automatic exemptions have been narrowed, ending broad carve-outs for people experiencing homelessness, many veterans and former foster youth, while exemptions remain for those under 18 or over 64, people living with a child under 14, pregnant people, individuals with certified disabilities, some Native Americans, certain caregivers, and participants in substance-use treatment.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimates about 2.4 million people will lose SNAP between 2025 and 2034 under the new rules, though some reports put the figure closer to four million and food-aid advocates warn of immediate hardship.
- States must apply tighter geographic waivers that are largely limited to counties with unemployment above 10%—with special criteria for Alaska and Hawaii—while continuing to administer payments on their own calendars.