WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new Congressional Budget Office analysis released on Monday projects that about 2.4 million fewer Americans, including families with children, will receive food stamps each month due to expanded work requirements in a recently signed law.
The law, which is part of President Donald Trump’s agenda, broadens the work mandate for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. The changes come at a time of high grocery prices and increased demand on food banks.
The new law requires parents of dependent children to meet work, volunteer, or job-training requirements for their food stamp benefits for the first time. The mandate applies to parents with children ages 14 and older, as well as adults aged 55-64, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster care youth. The CBO estimates that this will lead to 300,000 adults who live with children ages 14 and older losing coverage on average each month.
Additionally, the new law will require states with high error rates to pay a portion of food stamp benefit costs for the first time, starting in fiscal year 2028. This provision could lead to states reducing benefits or eligibility, causing an estimated 300,000 people to lose their benefits and about 96,000 children to receive smaller subsidies through child nutrition programs.
The analysis also found that the new law will have a significant impact on health insurance coverage and household income. The law’s changes to Medicaid, including new work requirements for certain enrollees, are projected to lead to 7.5 million more Americans without insurance. While changes to the Affordable Care Act may insure an additional 2.1 million people, the overall result is a net increase of 10 million more uninsured Americans by 2034.
The report also highlighted the financial impact on different income brackets. Lowest-income households (earning less than $24,000 annually) are projected to see their incomes drop by an average of $1,200 a year, or 3.1%, between 2026 and 2034, primarily due to reductions in benefits. Meanwhile, middle-income Americans (earning around $86,000) will see an average income bump of $800, and the highest earners (with incomes close to $700,000) are projected to see their incomes increase by an average of $13,600.
