USDA Proposes Ending Automatic SNAP Eligibility: 6.3 Million People Could Lose Food Benefits

For millions of American families, qualifying for food assistance has long been simpler than filling out a second set of forms. A new federal proposal would change that. The US Department of Agriculture wants to end a rule that lets states automatically enroll households in SNAP, a change the agency itself estimates would remove benefits from 6.3 million people. The proposal was published on 10 November and is open for public comment. Here, we explain the USDA SNAP eligibility changes, what broad-based categorical eligibility actually means, who would be affected, and how to have your say before the deadline.

What the USDA Is Proposing

The proposed rule would limit automatic SNAP eligibility to households receiving direct cash assistance through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, according to News4Jax’s detailed summary of the filing.

Today, a household can qualify automatically if every member receives a benefit from a TANF-funded state program. Crucially, that includes non-cash services, such as childcare referrals or access to a helpline connecting families to support. States have used that flexibility to extend SNAP well beyond its standard income and asset limits, the approach commonly called broad-based categorical eligibility, or BBCE.

By December 2025, the count stood at 46 states using BBCE. Of those, 37 set gross income limits above the federal threshold of 130% of the poverty guidelines, and 41 removed asset limits entirely.

The USDA’s Argument

The department says BBCE has strayed from what Congress intended, which was to cut paperwork rather than widen eligibility. Its filing argues it is irresponsible to taxpayers to allow the current practice to continue, and it highlights households holding sizeable assets that still drew benefits where states had scrapped resource limits.

The filing also leans on a 2012 congressional watchdog study, which put the payment error rate for BBCE households at 17.2%, against 6.7% elsewhere. The USDA estimates that about 2.5 million households currently hold resources above the standard SNAP limit.

Who Would Lose Benefits

The numbers are substantial. The USDA projects that once the rule takes full effect in fiscal year 2029:

• 3.2 million households, covering 6.3 million people, would no longer qualify for SNAP, about 17.6% of participants.
• Free school meals: about 1.78 million pupils would no longer qualify automatically, although about 97% should still qualify by applying on income. Roughly 28,000 would end up paying full price.
• Summer EBT: an estimated 42,000 young people could drop out of the scheme from summer 2029.
• WIC: roughly 5,500 mothers, babies and young children would lose access altogether.

The financial picture

The USDA projects federal SNAP spending would drop by roughly $44.65 billion across the five years from fiscal 2027 to fiscal 2031. States would save about $5.24 billion, but their administrative costs would rise by an estimated $928.5 million as they carry out extra income and asset checks.

The Criticism

Opponents argue the change would hurt families who are already struggling. Representative Angie Craig of Minnesota, the ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee, called the proposed rule heartless and cruel, as The Hill reported. She warned that losing SNAP can also cost families access to other programs that use it as a qualifying marker.

Supporters of the change counter that aligning eligibility with federal income and resource limits treats applicants consistently from state to state.

This is also not a new idea. A similar proposal was put forward in July 2019 and withdrawn in June 2021.

How to Comment Before 10 December

This is a proposed rule, not a final one, and the public can respond until 10 December 2026:

• Online: through regulations.gov, quoting docket FNA-2026-0661
• Email: [email protected], with the docket number in the subject line
• By post: SNAP Program Development Division, Food and Nutrition Administration, at 5601 Sunnyside Ave. in Beltsville, Maryland 20705

What SNAP recipients should do now

Nothing changes immediately, and the rule would not take full effect until fiscal year 2029. In the meantime:

• Keep your case information current with your state SNAP agency.
• Watch for official notices from your state, not social media posts.
• Contact a local food bank or benefits advice service if you are worried about your eligibility.

For more on federal benefits and deadlines, see our guides to Social Security payment dates and ACA open enrollment. Our how to apply for SNAP benefits guide explains the process.

A Proposal, Not Yet a Rule

The USDA’s plan would be one of the biggest changes to SNAP eligibility in years, with consequences reaching into school meals and WIC. It is still at the proposal stage, and the public has a formal say. Read the rule on regulations.gov, submit a comment before 10 December, and keep your state benefits information up to date.

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