FW: [Public Benefits] Fwd: USDA Sets Unreasonable Deadline for States to Implement Harmful SNAP Cuts
Shaun Taft
From: publicb...@lsscm.org <publicb...@lsscm.org> on behalf of Elly Jordan <ejo...@mplp.org>
Sent: Monday, October 6, 2025 8:13:09 PM
To: MPLP Public Benefits mailing list <publicb...@mplp.org>
Subject: [Public Benefits] Fwd: USDA Sets Unreasonable Deadline for States to Implement Harmful SNAP Cuts
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Hello,
USDA issued guidance that states must implement the OBBBA work requirements for food assistance beginning Nov. 1. Accordingly, all non-exempted people 18-64 who are not caretakers for someone under 14 years old will likely begin to be subject to time-limits.
USDA did clarify that individuals age 60 or older continue to be defined as “elderly” for SNAP purposes. Therefore, State agencies must continue to apply other policies for elderly individuals to those aged 60 or older, such as the availability of excess medical deduction and the lack of a cap on excess shelter deduction.
See below for more explanation from the Food Research & Action Center.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Elly
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---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Food Research & Action Center <shay...@frac.org>
Date: Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Subject: USDA Sets Unreasonable Deadline for States to Implement Harmful SNAP Cuts
To: Elinor Jordan <ejo...@mplp.org>
FRAC released the following statement on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
Media Contacts:
Jordan Baker
jba...@frac.org
202-640-1118
USDA Sets Unreasonable Deadline for States to Implement Harmful SNAP Cuts
Statement attributable to Crystal FitzSimons, president, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2025 – The Food Research & Action Center is deeply disappointed that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) quietly released an alarming memo yesterday announcing that states have until November 1 to implement some of the most harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in decades. The new rules expand harsh time limits and work requirements on SNAP for adults up to age 65, including veterans, caregivers, parents of children 14 and older, unhoused, and young adults aging out of foster care.
These are sweeping changes to the program, and state agencies need at least 12 to 18 months to implement them, but now they are being forced to rush major programmatic changes without the needed information and support. All of this will lead to unnecessary chaos and confusion in the midst of widespread uncertainty, record inflation, and a government shutdown. The last time these types of significant changes were made under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, states were given a clear implementation timeline, multiple rounds of technical guidance, and flexibility to protect vulnerable residents.
USDA also has announced that existing time limit waivers in some states that were not set to expire until next year, will now terminate within 30 days.
Leaving agencies in the dark about how to comply while avoiding costly administrative errors comes at the same time USDA is reorganizing and planning to move and consolidate seven regional offices into five hubs, further reducing states’ access to support and oversight.
Meanwhile, families are struggling more than ever. Food prices are 2.7 percent higher than last year, and the cost of housing, fuel, and child care continues to climb.
These rules mean that a mother homeschooling her 15-year-old will lose benefits because caregiving doesn’t “count” as work. A veteran with unpredictable shifts will lose benefits for failing to meet rigid reporting rules. A grandmother who retired early to help raise her grandchild will be cut off because unpaid family care is not recognized. These are not people refusing to work, they are Americans doing their best in an economy that increasingly works against them.
SNAP is one of the most effective anti-poverty and pro-growth programs in the country. Every dollar in SNAP benefits generates up to $1.80 in local economic activity. Cuts to SNAP are cuts to local economies, especially in rural areas where small grocers, farmers, and local businesses depend on SNAP purchases to survive. Rural counties already face higher rates of poverty and food insecurity than the national average, with one in seven rural households relying on SNAP.
Under H.R. 1, states will be forced to share the cost of SNAP benefits beginning in fiscal year 2028, with contributions tied to their payment error rates. States with higher error rates will be penalized with cost matches up to 15 percent — even if errors stem from unclear guidance or rushed implementation. USDA’s guidance rushes implementation and creates conditions that inflate error rates and push states to restrict access rather than expand it.
Food for the hungry should never have a time limit. Programs like SNAP reflect our shared values of fairness, compassion, and opportunity for all.
We call on Congress and the administration to reverse these damaging provisions, restore flexibility to states, and reaffirm our nation’s commitment to protecting the right of every American to put food on the table. This is not about politics; it is about people, and it is about what kind of country we choose to be.
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The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.
About Us
The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.
Contact Us
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