New conditions apply to millions of at-risk families in the US to receive SNAP benefits

Hakikul Islam Khokan

New working conditions in the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program take effect on February 1, 2026. As a result, millions of Americans could lose their Snap benefits. About 42 million low-income families currently rely on this federal program for grocery shopping and other essentials.
Snap's working conditions were changed under a major bill signed into law by US President Donald Trump in July last year. The change will require certain individuals to meet work conditions to receive a maximum of three months of snap benefits within three years.
Under the new law, the upper age limit for working conditions for able-bodied adults without dependents has been raised from 54 years to 64 years for the first time. Khabar Ibn News.
Also, the exemption rules for parents or other family members who are responsible for dependent children below 18 years have been changed. Only persons who are currently taking care of a child under 14 years of age are exempt; Earlier this limit was higher.
Joel Berg, CEO of the non-profit organization Hunger Free America, told ABC News, "Millions of people will needlessly be left off the list. They will lose the food they need, and in many cases, family members. The soup kitchens, food pantries and food banks that provide them—they won't have enough resources to meet this increased demand."
According to an August 2025 estimate by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), about 1.1 million people could lose SNAP benefits between 2025 and 2034. This includes nearly 800,000 able-bodied adults up to the age of 64, who have no dependents, and about 300,000 people who are parents or carers of children aged 14 and over.
In addition, nearly 1 million able-bodied adults ages 18 to 54 (or 18 to 49 from 2031), who have no dependents and who were previously exempt from work conditions—may also lose benefits.The massive bill also eliminated exemptions for homeless people, military veterans and youth in foster care when they turn 18.
Berg said it would be extremely difficult for this population to not only find jobs, but to prove to the government that they are meeting work conditions.
"It will be almost impossible for them, and they are already among the most vulnerable Americans," he said. "Homeless people, veterans and young people coming out of foster care—they're going to lose food, groceries, and there's no plan to fix that."
According to the CBO's calculations, while participation in SNAP among these groups will decrease, participation among American Indians will increase because of exemptions from the new law—resulting in some balance.
According to advocates of working conditions, these rules are necessary to prevent waste, fraud and abuse. The Snap program is administered by the Food Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"SNAP facilities are for temporary use, not long-term," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in an interview on Fox Business on Friday. The 'American Dream' is not about being on a food subsidy program. The 'American Dream' does not mean being dependent on these programs. These should be assistance, not begging. … As of yesterday we've moved about 1.7 million people out of Snap.”
In a statement sent to ABC News, a USDA spokesperson said state agencies "must be prepared to strictly enforce the deadline in areas where there is no exemption."
"The department is committed to providing technical assistance to state agencies—including guidance and state-based assistance—to successfully implement deadlines and related work conditions and, most importantly, move eligible beneficiaries from welfare to work, education or training opportunities," the spokesperson added.
According to data from the 2023 American Community Survey, most households with SNAP had at least one family member work in the past 12 months. However, studies have shown thatWorking conditions may reduce program participation. According to a 2021 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research, as many as 53% of eligible adults could drop out of the program within 18 months of Snap's terms of employment.
Berg said, "These work conditions aren't really about encouraging work. They're a way to dehumanize people and attack the 'other.' Most SNAP beneficiaries are pro-work and most are already working—or they're children, people with disabilities, or older Americans. So this whole debate is kind of a vision—error.”