
A look at what will happen to food assistance under Trump's big tax cut bill, by the numbers
The changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are projected to squeeze some people out of the program, which has existed for decades in varying forms as part of the nation's social safety net.
Here's a look at the food assistance program, by the numbers:
Year: 2008
The federal aid program formerly known as food stamps was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, on Oct. 1, 2008. The program provides monthly payments for food purchases to low-income residents generally earning less than $1,632 monthly for individuals, or $3,380 monthly for a household of four.
The nation's first experiment with food stamps began in 1939. The modern version of the program dates to 1979, when a change in federal law eliminated a requirement that participants purchase food stamps. There currently is no cost to people participating in the program.
Number: 42 million
More than 42 million people nationwide received SNAP benefits in March, the latest month for which figures are available. That's roughly one out of every eight people in the country. Participation is down from a peak average of 47.6 million people during the 2013 federal fiscal year.
Often, more than one person in a household is eligible for food aid. As of March, more than 22 million households were enrolled in SNAP, receiving an average monthly household benefit of $350. The money can be spent on most groceries, but the Trump administration recently approved requests by six states — Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah — to exclude certain items, such as soda or candy.
Dollars: $186 billion
Legislation approved by Congress is projected to cut $186 billion in federal spending from SNAP over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
More than one-third of those savings come from expanded work requirements for SNAP participants, which the CBO assumes would force some people off the rolls. Another third comes by shifting costs to states, which administer SNAP.
Yet another provision in the legislation would cap the annual inflationary growth in food benefits, saving the federal government tens of billions of dollars by 2034.
Ages: 14 and 55-64
To receive SNAP benefits, current law says adults ages 18 through 54 who are physically and mentally able and don't have dependents, need to work, volunteer or participate in training programs for at least 80 hours a month. Those who don't do so are limited to just three months of benefits in a three-year period.
The legislation expands work requirements for those ages 55 through 64 and for parents without children younger than 14. It also repeals work exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults aging out of foster care.
States could continue to seek federal waivers from SNAP work requirements in areas with unemployment over 10%. But the bill eliminates a more flexible exemption for areas without sufficient jobs.
Percentage: 6%
The federal government currently splits the administrative costs of SNAP with states but covers the full cost of food benefits. Under the legislation, states would have to cover three-fourths of the administrative costs, starting in the 2027 federal fiscal year.
Some states, for the first time, also would have to pay a portion of the food benefits starting with the 2028 fiscal year.
Under the legislation, the federal government would fully fund SNAP benefits only for states that make mistakes in fewer than 6% of their payments to people. Just seven states — Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming — met that threshold last year, according to federal data.
Wednesdays
Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture.
Nationwide, nearly 11% of SNAP payments had errors last year.
Starting in 2028, states with error rates greater than 6% will have to cover between 5% and 15% of the cost of SNAP benefits. Those with higher error rates generally must pay more, but a Senate amendment delays the cost-share implementation to as late as 2030 for states with the highest mistake rates.
As a result of the cost shift, the CBO assumes that some states would reduce or eliminate SNAP benefits for people.
Margin: 1
The legislation containing the SNAP changes passed the Senate 51-50. Vice President JD Vance, in his role as Senate president, cast the tiebreaking vote. The House then gave final approval to the bill, 218-214.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Globe and Mail
19 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Wall Street moves lower as Trump's tariff deadline nears
U.S. stocks are lower in morning trading Monday as the Trump administration steps up pressure on trading partners to make deals before a Wednesday deadline. The S&P 500 was 0.5% lower as trading resumed in the U.S. following a holiday-shortened week. The benchmark index remains near its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 217 points, or 0.5%, as of 10:49 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% lower. Bond yields mostly rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.38% from 4.34% late Thursday. Tesla tumbled 6.9% for the biggest drop among S&P 500 stocks as the feud between CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump reignited over the weekend. Musk, once a top donor and ally of Trump, said he would form a third political party in protest over the Republican spending bill that passed last week. Wall Street was watching for developments in the Trump administration's bid to reshape global trade by threatening sharply higher tariffs on U.S. trading partners. Trump told reporters over the weekend that his administration would send letters to several foreign governments as early as Monday spelling out their tariff rates if they don't reach a deal before Wednesday. He added that the U.S. would not start collecting those taxes until Aug. 1, although Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rejected the idea that Aug. 1 was a new deadline and declined to say what might happen Wednesday. Late Sunday, Trump said he would impose an additional 10% in tariffs against the BRICS bloc of developing nations, which had condemned tariffs increases at its summit in Brazil. In addition to Brazil, the BRICS countries also include Russia, India, China and South Africa. The near-term outlook will likely hinge on several key factors like the extent to which trading partners are included in Trump letters, the rate of tariffs, and the effective date of such tariffs, according to analysts at Nomura. Last week, the Trump administration announced that it reached a deal with Vietnam that would allow U.S. goods to enter the country duty-free, while Vietnamese exports to the U.S. would face a 20% levy. That was a decline from the 46% tax on Vietnamese imports he proposed in April. 'The type of deal struck with Vietnam may be a blueprint for similar countries in the region with economies heavily reliant on large trade deficits with the U.S.,' said Jason Pride, chief of investment strategy and research at Glenmede. Most of the sectors in the S&P 500 index were in the red, led by technology and consumer-related stocks. Oracle fell 1.9% and Chipotle Mexican Grill was down 2.9%. Molina Healthcare fell 0.4% after the insurer lowered its profit guidance due to rapidly accelerating costs. UnitedHealth Group also recently reported a spike in costs that forced it to cut its forecast, sending its stock tumbling in April. In deal news, software company CoreWeave agreed to acquire cryptocurrency mining company Core Scientific in an all-stock transaction valued at about $9 billion. Shares in Core Scientific sank 18.6%, while CoreWeave slid 3.7%. The downbeat start to the week follows a strong run for stocks, which pushed further into record heights last week after a better-than-expected U.S. jobs report. Oil prices fluctuated after OPEC+ agreed on Saturday to raise production in August by 548,000 barrels per day. U.S. benchmark crude was up 1.2%, while Brent crude, the international standard, was up 1.5%. Stock indexes in Europe were mostly higher. Asian markets closed mostly lower. This week will be relatively light on economic data. On Wednesday the Federal Reserve will release minutes from its policymaking committee's meeting last month. The Fed's chair, Jerome Powell, has been insisting that the central bank wants to wait and see how Trump's tariffs affect the economy and inflation before making its next move on interest rates. While lower rates give a boost to the economy by making it easier to borrow money, they can also give inflation more fuel. That could be dangerous if the Trump' administration's tariffs send inflation higher.


Winnipeg Free Press
38 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada not affected by Trump's looming deadline for trade deals
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump says he will be sending letters to countries around the world today as he seeks trade deals — but Canada is not being affected by Wednesday's tariff deadline. On Sunday, Trump said he's sending correspondence to up to 15 countries hit by the president's 'Liberation Day' duties, telling them he will impose a tariff rate if there's no trade deal. Members of Trump's administration have said those tariffs would go into effect in August. Trump took his trade war to the world in April but walked back the most devastating duties a few hours later, setting a 90-day deadline to make deals. Since then, the only trade arrangements the Trump administration has come up with have been frameworks for deals with two countries. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Canada was not included in those global tariffs and has committed to coming up with some sort of bilateral deal with the U.S. by July 21. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A reignited Trump-Musk feud burns Tesla investors, shares of EV company tumble 8%
Shares of Tesla tumbled 8% at the opening bell Monday as the feud between CEO Elon Musk and Trump reignited over the weekend. Musk, once a top donor and ally of Trump, announced that he was forming a third political party in protest over the Republican spending bill that passed late last week. Musk has been highly critical of the bill, which he said would kill jobs and bog down burgeoning industries. In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said that the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X had gone 'off the rails' in recent weeks. Investors fear that Musk's companies, which receive significant subsidies from the federal government, could suffer further if his feud with Trump continues to fester. 'With the autonomous future ahead and the AI Revolution in full force Musk/Tesla do not need to keep poking the bear as Trump can create more hurdles for Musk/Tesla/SpaceX over the coming years if this political battle gets nastier heading into mid-terms in 2026,' Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to clients late Sunday. Tesla shares have been extremely volatile since Musk went all-in for Trump in the run-up to last year's election with the company facing a growing backlash as a result of Musk's embrace of right-wing politics and his role in the Trump administration. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Shares have plunged in Europe and the U.S.. Industry analysts believe a large part of that slump is being driven by Musk's affiliation with Trump and far-right parties like Germany AfD. But Tesla is facing rising competition globally, particularly in China. Since hitting an all-time high of $479.76 on Dec. 17, Tesla shares have lost about 40% of their value. Tesla shares are down about $26 each since Thursday's close, to $289.75.