What policy changes under different administrations affected SNAP numbers?
Executive summary
Policy changes under recent administrations have shifted SNAP participation and benefit levels through three main levers: work requirements and ABAWD enforcement, changes to immigrant eligibility, and emergency funding/benefit allotment decisions during budget crises. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB/OBBBA) and USDA enforcement in 2025 reimposed nationwide ABAWD work rules and changed alien eligibility effective July–November 2025 [1] [2], and a federal funding shortfall in November 2025 led USDA to cut maximum allotments to 50% for that month amid court orders and a government shutdown [3] [4].
1. How “work rules” resumption shifted the eligibility floor
In 2025 the USDA moved from a patchwork of waivers and partial enforcement back to full application of ABAWD (Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents) work and training requirements nationwide, directing states to verify work, training, or volunteer participation for those 18–64 without dependents starting November 1, 2025 [1]. Advocates warn that strict enforcement can quickly reduce rolls where local labor markets or program capacity (E&T slots, caseworkers) lag, while proponents argue the change restores “accountability” written into federal law [1]. Coverage in reporting and agency guidance shows states must now track and recertify cases against the 80-hour threshold, meaning administrative burden—not only recipients’ circumstances—will affect who remains enrolled [1] [5].
2. Immigrant eligibility: statutory change, phased implementation, and administrative variance
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act altered SNAP rules for certain lawfully present noncitizens; Section 10108 took effect on enactment (July 4, 2025) and FNS required states to apply the new criteria to new applicants immediately and to existing households at recertification, while allowing a 120‑day variance exclusion for misapplication through November 1, 2025 [2]. State guidance (for example Massachusetts) warned that certain non‑citizens newly applying after November 1 would not be eligible under the new rules, and that recertifications would trigger changes for ongoing cases [6]. These changes can shrink participation among immigrant households, although the FNS memo frames implementation with technical-assistance offers and limited transition relief [2].
3. Funding crunches and one‑month benefit reductions in late 2025
Beyond eligibility rules, benefit levels and delivery were directly affected by funding shortfalls and court rulings in November 2025. The USDA told states that, because of limited federal funding and court orders, it would reduce maximum SNAP allotments to 50% of the current allotment for November 2025 in accordance with federal regulation (7 CFR 271.7) and directed states to implement that reduction effective Nov. 1 [3]. Reporting explained the reduction grew out of a government shutdown and USDA decisions not to tap certain child‑nutrition contingency funds, and that federal courts had ordered at least partial payments to continue while litigation and funding questions proceeded [4] [7]. The practical outcome: millions faced delayed or reduced benefits in November, even as judges in some districts ordered more funding to flow [7] [4].
4. Conflicting narratives: modernization vs. restriction
Federal materials and many state notices frame the 2025 changes as modernization—improving verification, reducing delays, and restoring statutory limits [2] [8]. Independent reporting and advocacy sources emphasize the opposite framing: stricter work rules, narrower immigrant access, and administrative complexity risk reducing coverage and increasing food insecurity [1] [6]. The tension matters because outcomes depend not just on statutory text but on state-level administration capacity, local labor markets, and how quickly courts and Congress resolve funding disputes [1] [3] [4].
5. What the data show about scale and impact so far
National snapshots before the November 2025 disruptions showed roughly 42 million people on SNAP and average benefits that had fallen from pandemic peaks—Pew’s 8‑month average to May 2025 reported a national average benefit of $188.45 per person and $350.89 per household [7] [9]. The November 2025 allotment cut and enforcement changes could materially affect those numbers month‑to‑month through fewer recipients or smaller monthly benefits, but exact enrollment declines will depend on state recertification timing and how courts or Congress act next [3] [2].
6. Where uncertainty remains and what to watch
Available sources do not mention longer‑term Congressional fixes or detailed state‑by‑state roll‑out outcomes beyond the immediate November guidance (not found in current reporting). Key indicators to follow: state recertification timelines (which determine when OBBA immigrant rules hit ongoing cases) and state reporting on ABAWD sanctions; court decisions about funding and whether USDA will restore full allotments or Congress will appropriate emergency funds; and administrative capacity updates (E&T slots, caseworker staffing) that affect practical enforcement [2] [1] [3].
Summary judgment: recent policy shifts combined statutory enforcement (ABAWD), legislative changes to immigrant eligibility, and a funding crisis produced sharp, immediate effects on SNAP access and benefit levels in late 2025; whether those effects are transient or permanent will hinge on state implementation choices, court rulings, and possible Congressional action [1] [2] [3].