Millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are about to face new steps to keep their benefits. The Trump administration says it plans to require SNAP recipients to reapply, a move framed as an effort to confirm eligibility and tighten oversight.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the plan during a Newsmax interview, where she linked the change to concerns about fraud, spending, and data accuracy. Let’s look at what the administration is proposing, why it’s happening now, and how these changes fit into the broader picture of SNAP in the United States.
What the new rules mean for SNAP recipients
The plan centers on having all SNAP recipients reapply for benefits, even though states already require families to recertify regularly. Rollins said the goal is to ensure that “everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through … food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it”. She did not outline a timeline or explain how the new process differs from existing recertification requirements.
This comes at a tense moment for the program. Federal funding lapsed during the government shutdown, drawing sharp criticism from conservative lawmakers and President Donald Trump about the size of the program and how much the government spends on food aid. SNAP serves about 42 million Americans and costs around $100 billion in fiscal year 2024, making it one of the largest federal safety-net programs.
Rollins has signaled that this is one piece of a larger overhaul. She has already pushed states to send the USDA sensitive data on SNAP recipients, including Social Security numbers, arguing the agency needs more complete information to spot waste and misuse. That request is now tied up in court challenges from states and anti-hunger organizations.
The secretary also pointed to data from 29 states that reported 186,000 “deceased men and women and children” showing up in their files. She says the new reapplication effort is part of addressing what she describes as long-running system failures. USDA officials did not clarify whether the number refers to active payments or outdated records that were already flagged in state systems.
The policy shift also follows the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the spending package signed in July that made sweeping cuts to SNAP. The law included new work requirements and stricter eligibility rules, reflecting a broader push from GOP lawmakers to reduce federal spending through DOGE and reshape the country’s safety-net programs.
The broader situation of SNAP
Before these new rules, states already required SNAP participants to recertify every few months. Families must update income, work status, and household information to maintain benefits. Many anti-hunger groups say this process is already demanding, especially for seniors, people with disabilities, and workers juggling multiple jobs.
SNAP fraud does happen, including people lying about income, retailers trading benefits for cash, or criminals skimming EBT cards. But food policy researchers and advocacy groups say the rate is low and note that the average participant receives about $6 a day. They argue that administrative hurdles can push out eligible households rather than catch intentional wrongdoing.
The renewed push for reapplications adds uncertainty for families and raises questions about how states will manage the administrative surge, since many offices are already stretched. As the administration prepares its broader overhaul, families, states, and advocacy groups are waiting to see whether the new rules will offer more clarity—or create more obstacles for those who depend on this support.