AN OVERHAUL to the SNAP benefits program will reduce the value of the program for recipients and rip away work exemptions from the homeless.
A massive cut in Minnesota will take effect on October 1 and will put hundreds of thousands of underprivileged Americans at a greater disadvantage.
SNAP benefits will be cut in Minnesota from October 1[/caption]
A newly passed federal law will impact families in the state and shift the cost onto them.
Over 440,000 people in Minnesota use SNAP benefits monthly, but the changes mean that thousands will be pushed off the program.
It will also increase state and local costs by more than $125 million annually, according to the Department of Children, Youth and Families.
1. THIFTY FOOD PLAN
The first change targets the Thrifty Food Plan, a scheme that estimates the cost of groceries to provide a healthy and cheap diet for a family of four.
It is typically used to determine how much in SNAP benefits someone receives.
But from October 1, the amount of money given to each family will be based on the Consumer Price Index.
This will limit the amount that each family is paid, resulting in reduced spending in Minnesota.
It will be in place until at least October 1, 2027, after which it can be reviewed.
2. WORK REQUIREMENTS
The new law also expands work requirements to adults aged 18 through 64, so more people will have to be employed before they can receive their benefits.
It also limits the parent exemption to households with children under 14, which subjects thousands of parents to new requirements.
The law completely takes away work exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and youth leaving foster care.
It also creates new exemptions for American Indians, Alaska Natives, Urban Indians, and California Indians.
3. UTILITY ALLOWANCE
The new law limits the use of state energy assistance payments.
SNAP recipients in Minnesota will no longer be able to automatically qualify for the standard utility allowance the state sets.
What are SNAP benefits?
Over 41 million people in America receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits each month.
SNAP provides food benefits to low-income households to help people get groceries.
Recipients get money on a debit card that can be used at grocery stores and farmers markets.
The amount of money distributed depends on several factors including how much money you make, how much money you receive from other benefits, and how many people are in your household.
The electronic benefits can help people buy food including food and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, and snacks.
You can’t use SNAP to buy alcohol, cigarettes, hot foods, or cooking utensils.
Source: USDA
Households will also be restricted from excluding these payments as income on tax returns.
The only exemptions will be if the household includes an elderly or disabled person.
This means that citizens will be taxed more on their SNAP benefits.
4. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
The federal reimbursement for administering SNAP will be reduced from 50% to 25%, so states will be forced to pay 75% of the cost.
This change will see Minnesota lose roughly $39 million, and the SNAP outreach program will lose $2.25 million.
For those in the state, this will mean that there are fewer administrative resources available.
It will also damage the customer service and the state’s ability to deliver the SNAP program.
5. SNAP-ED FUNDING
The funding for SNAP Education (SNAP-Ed) will officially be cut on October 1, 2025.
SNAP-Ed provides nutrition education to individuals who receive or are eligible for SNAP benefits.
This program reached 1.7 million Minnesotans in 2024, but will no longer go ahead.
6. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS
SNAP will be limited to U.S. citizens only, which will reduce the number of people who can receive SNAP benefits.
It will also drive up costs for the new forms of eligibility verification that will be required.
This change means that roughly 9,000 people will lose access to SNAP, including:
- Amerasians
- Battered non-citizens
- Certain American Indians born abroad
- Conditional entrants
- Hmong and Highland Laotian tribal members
- Individuals granted asylum
- Individuals granted parole for at least one year
- Individuals with deportation withheld
- Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIV)
- Refugees
- Victims of severe trafficking
7. MATCHING FUNDS
The last major change coming to SNAP in Minnesota is that the state will now have to pay for beneficiaries to receive the assistance.
States must pay 0–15% of SNAP benefits, a number that is tied to their Payment Error Rate (PER).
PER is a federal initiative that reports improper payment rates, so if there is a mistake with a government payment as it is sent to the recipient.
The higher the error rate in the state, the more that Minnesota itself will have to pay.
It will work like this:
- PER below 6 percent: 0 percent state match
- PER 6 to 7.99 percent: 5 percent state match
- PER 8 to 9.99 percent: 10 percent state match
- PER 10 percent or higher: 15 percent state match
A newly passed federal law will impact families in the state and shift the cost onto them[/caption]
