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    SNAP changes from the 2025 law: work rules, cost sharing, timeline

    The 2025 reconciliation law (Public Law 119-21) extends SNAP's work-linked time limit to adults up to age 64 and to parents of children 14 and older, and removes exemptions for veterans, homeless people and former foster youth.[1] States pay 75% of SNAP administrative costs from 1 October 2026, and from FY2028 states with payment error rates of 6% or more must pay 5-15% of benefit costs.[2][3] A Senate farm bill would delay that cost sharing by a year.[4]

    Editor reviewedStrict sourcingUpdated ExplainerSocial welfare, Tech policy

    The FY2025 budget reconciliation law, Public Law 119-21, was enacted on 4 July 2025. CBO estimated its nutrition provisions would cut federal spending by almost $187 billion over ten years, with every SNAP provision reducing spending.[5] This explainer sets out what changed in SNAP, when, and who argues what. It is not legal advice. Rules vary by state and are still being implemented, so check with your state SNAP office about your own case.

    Work requirements and the time limit

    Some adults on SNAP can get benefits for only three months in three years unless they work, volunteer or train at least 20 hours a week.[6] Before the law this applied to adults aged 18 to 54 without children. Now it applies up to age 64 and to parents whose youngest child is 14 or older.[1] Veterans, people experiencing homelessness and young people who aged out of foster care are no longer automatically exempt.[1]

    Section 10102 extends the able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) time limit to ages 18-64 and to adults whose youngest dependent child is 14 or older. It strikes the veteran, homeless and former-foster-youth exemptions and the sunset date, and adds exemptions for Indians, Urban Indians and California Indians.[1] Waivers are limited to areas with unemployment above 10%, with a 1.5-times-national-rate test only for Alaska and Hawaii.[7] CRS says these provisions took effect on enactment, with implementation depending on USDA guidance.[8] CBO projects a 2.4 million drop in average monthly participation over 2025-2034.[9]

    Eligibility and benefit changes

    The law limits SNAP for noncitizens to lawful permanent residents (after the existing five-year bar), Cuban-Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association migrants. Groups such as refugees and asylees are no longer eligible.[10] USDA may not reevaluate the Thrifty Food Plan, which sets maximum benefits, before 1 October 2027 in a way that raises its cost faster than inflation. CBO expects this to cut the average monthly benefit by $14 by 2034.[11] Changes to how energy assistance and internet costs count are estimated to cut benefits by about $100 a month for about 3% of households and about $10 a month for about 65%.[12] Mandatory funding for SNAP-Ed nutrition education, $536 million in FY2025, ends from FY2026.[13]

    Who pays: the state cost share

    Historically the federal government paid all SNAP benefits and about half of running costs.[2] From 1 October 2026 states pay 75% of running costs.[2] From 1 October 2027, states that make more payment mistakes must also pay part of the benefits themselves, up to 15%.[3]

    The benefit cost share is 5% for payment error rates of 6% to under 8%, 10% for 8% to under 10%, and 15% for 10% or more, starting in FY2028.[3] The payment error rate measures over- and underpayments as a share of benefits, from a quality-control sample. CRS stresses that errors are not the same as fraud.[14] States at 13.33% or more in FY2025 are delayed to FY2029, and those at that level in FY2026 to FY2030.[15] USDA released FY2025 error rates in June 2026, and CRS says most states would pay a share on those figures.[16] Ballotpedia counts nine states below 6% that would pay nothing.[17] As of October 2026 USDA had not issued rules on how the cost share will work.[18]

    The farm bill and the debate

    On 16 September 2026 the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced a 2026 farm bill (S. 5526). It would delay benefit cost sharing to 1 October 2028 and raise the top state share to 20% from FY2031.[4] The House-passed farm bill (H.R. 7567) leaves cost sharing as it is.[19] The Senate bill would not change the 75% administrative share.[2]

    Positions divide along familiar lines. House Agriculture Committee chair Glenn Thompson and Senate Agriculture chair John Boozman, both Republicans, argued that the cost share gives states “skin in the game” to cut improper payments. Thompson said the law restores “integrity to SNAP”.[20][21] Progressive and anti-hunger groups, including the Center for American Progress and the Food Research & Action Center, argue the changes will cost millions of people some or all of their benefits and raise hardship.[22]

    Timeline at a glance

    • 4 July 2025: law enacted; most SNAP provisions effective.[5][8]
    • 1 November 2025: USDA says no benefits will be issued because of the shutdown; partial payments follow after court orders.[23][24]
    • June 2026: USDA releases FY2025 payment error rates.[16]
    • 1 October 2026: states’ share of administrative costs rises to 75%.[2]
    • 1 October 2027: benefit cost sharing begins under current law.[3]

    Track developments, including USDA guidance on cost sharing, which had not been issued as of October 2026, in the hunger and poverty tracker.[18] For the law’s Medicaid changes, see the Medicaid changes explainer.

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    Questions readers ask

    Who is affected by the new SNAP work requirements?

    Able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 without dependent children under 14 who do not work or train 20 hours a week are limited to three months of SNAP in 36 months. Veterans, homeless people and former foster youth are no longer exempt; American Indians are newly exempt.[6][1]

    When did the SNAP work requirement changes start?

    CRS says most of the law's SNAP provisions, including the work requirement changes, took effect on enactment on 4 July 2025, with actual timing depending on USDA guidance and state implementation.[8][5]

    How many people could lose SNAP?

    CBO estimated the time-limit changes would reduce participation by 2.4 million people in an average month over 2025-2034. This is a projection.[9]

    When do states have to pay for SNAP benefits?

    Under current law, from 1 October 2027 (FY2028), states with payment error rates of 6% or more pay 5%, 10% or 15% of benefit costs. States with rates of 13.33% or more get a delay. A Senate committee bill would push the start to 1 October 2028.[3][15][4]

    Can refugees still get SNAP?

    The law limits noncitizen eligibility to lawful permanent residents (subject to the five-year bar), Cuban-Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association migrants, which makes groups such as refugees and asylees ineligible.[10]

    Will SNAP benefits go down?

    CBO estimated the Thrifty Food Plan limit will cut the average monthly benefit by $14 by 2034, the utility allowance change about $100 a month for about 3% of households, and the internet-cost change about $10 a month for about 65%.[11][12]

    Sources

    · 24 claims from 6 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      The 2025 law extends SNAP's time limit to adults aged 18 to 64 and to parents whose youngest dependent child is 14 or older, and removes the exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness and former foster youth; it adds exemptions for American Indians. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    2. [2]

      SNAP benefits have historically been fully federally funded and administrative costs split about 50-50; the 2025 law raised states' share of administrative costs to 75% from 1 October 2026, and the Senate committee's farm bill would not change that. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    3. [3]

      From FY2028 (1 October 2027), states with SNAP payment error rates of 6% to under 8% must pay 5% of benefit costs, 8% to under 10% pay 10%, and 10% or more pay 15%; states under 6% pay nothing. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    4. [4]

      The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced a 2026 farm bill (S. 5526) on 16 September 2026 that would delay state SNAP benefit cost-sharing by one year, to 1 October 2028, and raise the top state share from 15% to 20% from FY2031; the House-passed farm bill (H.R. 7567) keeps current law. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    5. [5]

      The FY2025 budget reconciliation law (Public Law 119-21, sometimes called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) was enacted on 4 July 2025; CBO estimated its nutrition provisions would cut federal spending by almost $187 billion over FY2025-FY2034. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    6. [6]

      Before the 2025 law, able-bodied adults without dependents aged 18 to 54 who did not work or train at least 20 hours a week were limited to three months of SNAP in 36 months. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    7. [7]

      The law limits waivers of the time limit to areas with unemployment above 10% (with a 1.5-times-national-rate test only for Alaska and Hawaii). confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    8. [8]

      CRS says most SNAP provisions of the law, including the work requirement, waiver, utility-allowance, internet-cost and noncitizen changes, took effect on enactment, with actual timing depending on USDA guidance. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    9. [9]

      CBO estimated the time-limit changes would reduce SNAP participation by 2.4 million people in an average month over 2025-2034. reportedas of 2025-08-15· forecast

    10. [10]

      The law limits SNAP eligibility for noncitizens to lawful permanent residents (subject to the five-year bar), Cuban-Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association migrants, making groups such as refugees and asylees ineligible. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    11. [11]

      The law bars USDA from reevaluating the Thrifty Food Plan before 1 October 2027 in a way that raises its cost faster than inflation; CBO estimated this will cut the average monthly benefit by $14 by 2034. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    12. [12]

      The law ends the use of energy assistance payments to qualify households without elderly or disabled members for the standard utility allowance and bars counting internet costs; CBO estimated cuts of about $100 a month for about 3% of households and about $10 a month for about 65%. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    13. [13]

      The law ends mandatory funding for SNAP-Ed, the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program, from FY2026; it received $536 million in FY2025. confirmedas of 2025-08-15

    14. [14]

      The payment error rate estimates the dollar value of overpayments and underpayments as a share of total benefits, from a quality-control sample of each state's cases; errors are not the same as fraud. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    15. [15]

      States with payment error rates of 13.33% or higher in FY2025 have cost-sharing delayed to FY2029, and those at that level in FY2026 to FY2030. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    16. [16]

      USDA released FY2025 state payment error rates in June 2026; CRS says most states would share benefit costs if those rates held. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    17. [17]

      Ballotpedia counts nine states with FY2025 error rates below 6%, which would pay no benefit share in FY2028 - Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming. reportedas of 2026-10-11

    18. [18]

      As of October 2026, CRS said USDA had not issued regulations or guidance on how state SNAP cost-sharing will be implemented. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    19. [19]

      The House-passed 2026 farm bill (H.R. 7567) has no provision changing SNAP federal-state cost sharing. confirmedas of 2026-10-05

    20. [20]

      House and Senate Agriculture Committee chairs Glenn Thompson and John Boozman argued that tying a cost share to error rates gives states "skin in the game" and an incentive to stop improper payments. confirmedas of 2025-06-30

    21. [21]

      Chairman Thompson said the reconciliation law restores "integrity to SNAP". confirmedas of 2025-07-03

    22. [22]

      Progressive and anti-hunger groups argue the 2025 reconciliation law will raise hardship; the Center for American Progress says poverty will likely rise as its health and food-assistance cuts take effect, and the Food Research & Action Center says millions will lose some or all SNAP benefits. reportedas of 2026-09-15· interpretation

    23. [23]

      USDA said no SNAP benefits would be issued on 1 November 2025 because of the shutdown, the first such delay in the program's history, affecting about 42 million recipients. confirmedas of 2025-11-01

    24. [24]

      On 3 November 2025 the administration told the Rhode Island court it would use the remaining $4.65 billion SNAP contingency fund to pay 50% of November allotments, declining to tap child nutrition funds for full payments. confirmedas of 2025-11-03

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Dec 15, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "SNAP changes from the 2025 law: work rules, cost sharing, timeline." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/explain/snap-changes-2025-law-explained

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