President Donald Trump’s administration officially rolled out new rules Monday, tightening work requirements for millions of Americans receiving food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), marking one of the most significant reforms to the program in years.
According to FOX Business, the changes, enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, raise the upper age limit for work requirements from 54 to 64.
Under the new guidelines, adults in that age bracket must work, participate in job training, or volunteer at least 80 hours per month to qualify for benefits.
The updated rules apply to new SNAP enrollees immediately and will take effect for current participants at their next recertification.
SNAP, which supports more than 40 million Americans, came under heightened scrutiny during the recent government shutdown, when funding for the program neared a lapse.
In fiscal year 2024, SNAP served an average of 41.7 million people each month—about 12% of the U.S. population—at a cost of roughly $99 billion.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the administration’s reforms are expected to reduce monthly SNAP enrollment by about 2.4 million people over the next decade.
The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that the program has become too costly, citing both rising enrollment and persistent fraud as reasons for reform.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told FOX Business last month that investigators have already uncovered striking examples of misuse, including “186,000 deceased individuals receiving benefits” and “about 500,000 people collecting SNAP assistance in more than one state.”
She added that the administration will now require all recipients to reapply for benefits to curb fraud and eliminate ineligible participants.
The reforms extend beyond SNAP. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Friday that his department is preparing regulations to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing refundable portions of certain federal tax credits.
The move would apply to the Earned Income Tax Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit, American Opportunity Tax Credit, and Saver’s Match Credit.
“At @POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are working to cut off federal benefits to illegal aliens and preserve them for U.S. citizens,” Bessent wrote on X.
Together, the policy changes reflect the administration’s broader effort to rein in federal benefits spending and tighten eligibility standards across multiple programs.
