SNAP Changes: Trump Bill Adds New Burdens for Millions of Women, Study Says

Newsweek

6 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) has introduced sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, imposing new work and reporting requirements that may add significant burdens for millions of working women, according to a new study.
These changes mark the most substantial SNAP cuts in the program's history and affect both federal funding and eligibility rules for vital social safety net programs, according to the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality analysis.
Why It Matters
The OBBA extends and toughens work requirements for low-income Americans, making it particularly challenging for women, especially mothers, single mothers, older women, and women of color, to maintain access to government support for food and healthcare.
Women are already overrepresented among SNAP recipients and are disproportionately affected by unstable jobs, limited benefits, and caregiving demands.
Some experts warn that shifting fiscal responsibility to states could deepen disparities, as some state budgets may be unable to absorb the increased costs, potentially resulting in benefit reductions or program curtailments.
People shop at a grocery store in Brooklyn on May 13, 2025, in New York City.
People shop at a grocery store in Brooklyn on May 13, 2025, in New York City.What To Know
The new law targets a broad swath of SNAP and Medicaid beneficiaries.
SNAP, which aids roughly 42 million Americans, relies on federal support to provide food assistance to low-income households.
Women make up about 55 percent of the non-elderly adults receiving SNAP, and single mothers lead nearly two-thirds of SNAP households with children, according to Georgetown.
Among the 12 million women aged 18 to 64 who participated in SNAP in 2023, the majority worked at some point during the year.
"Many of the women impacted by these SNAP changes are already working. The issue is that working more reduces their benefits. The system is set up backwards: 'you work more, you get less.' Who would sign up for that?" Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek.
"That's the choice many women are now faced with—work more and lose support, or be pushed off the program entirely, and as always, people will find workarounds. But that's not policy success—that's survival."
Prior to OBBA, SNAP required able-bodied adults aged 18 to 54 without dependents to work at least 80 hours per month to maintain benefits. OBBA expands this requirement to include adults up to age 64 and, critically, to parents or guardians of children aged 14 to 17.
Approximately 2 million more women will be newly subject to these requirements, many living in households with children. Medicaid work requirements have also been expanded to nondisabled adults up to age 64, with phased implementation expected starting in 2026-2027, according to the AARP.
Many recipients risk losing benefits, not due to non-compliance with work rules, but because of paperwork and frequent eligibility verifications.
The new policy not only reduces federal SNAP funding by nearly $300 billion over the next decade but also shifts greater administrative and benefit costs to states. States' share of SNAP administrative costs will rise from 50 percent to 75 percent, and their required contributions to benefits could reach up to 25 percent based on performance. For many states, this could necessitate cutting enrollment, reducing benefits, or limiting other safety-net services.
Experts estimate 22 million households could lose all or part of their SNAP benefits, with the risk especially acute for women in low-wage, unstable jobs and older women who may struggle to meet reporting and documentation rules.
The combined effects are likely to push more women, children, and families into food insecurity and poverty, undoing much of the progress made during past policy expansions.
"Many women and children that encounter these challenges need SNAP to cover crucial nutrition costs, and if these added rules end their participation, it's going to become vastly more difficult for them to financially survive," Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
SNAP is a proven tool in reducing food insecurity and stimulating economic activity. Benefit cuts could also ripple through local economies, affecting grocery stores and associated jobs, while simultaneously increasing demand at already taxed food pantries.
What People Are Saying
Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "What most people don't realize is the true cost to low-income individuals. If healthcare weren't as expensive as it is, people might be able to work more hours and earn more money. But instead, many choose to work less in order to bring home more—because working more could mean losing access to Medicaid."
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "The potential impacts of recent changes to SNAP for women and children are concerning, especially when you consider how many qualify for these benefits prior to the introduction of additional requirements. Women face many income challenges: careers more heavily pursued by women can generate smaller wages than their male counterparts in other professions, some of those professions are getting more competition and subsequent layoffs due to AI and budget cuts, and childcare costs, particularly for single mothers, make economic progress a constant uphill battle"
What Happens Next
The rollout of new work and documentation rules will begin for Medicaid in 2026 and for expanded SNAP requirements soon after, though some states may institute changes sooner with waivers.
States are already calculating the financial and administrative impacts, with some policymakers warning of potential safety net reductions or exits from SNAP.
"Americans should be concerned—because the system is fundamentally broken," Thompson said.
"People love to act like this is about personal responsibility or work ethic. But it's not. It's a math problem. If these individuals were a corporation making these same decisions, cutting costs, maximizing take-home, they'd be applauded by Wall Street. Instead, they're demonized by lawmakers."