6.3 Million Americans Could Lose Food Assistance Under Proposed SNAP Cuts

The Trump administration is planning significant reductions in federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, potentially leaving millions of low-income Americans without food assistance over the next five years.

Under the proposed changes, approximately 6.3 million people from 3.2 million households could lose access to the programme by 2029. The planned reductions are expected to total around $44.64 billion by 2031.

The cuts could affect approximately 17.6 per cent of current SNAP beneficiaries, according to a report published by Weekly Bangladesh USA. The programme, established in 1939, provides food assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families.

A notice published in the Federal Register on November 10 said the Trump administration had informed states that SNAP eligibility would be restricted for people who qualify for other public assistance programmes.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the broad-based categorical eligibility policy had expanded access to SNAP over several decades. According to the spokesperson, some people whose incomes and assets are significantly above the federal poverty threshold have also been receiving benefits.

The USDA representative argued that the administration’s initiative aims to address gaps in the eligibility system and ensure that assistance is directed towards those most in need.

The report also claimed that nearly five million people had already been excluded from the programme since the Trump administration took office.