Ben Molin • Updated August 23, 2025

How the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Will Affect SNAP

The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill was signed by President Trump on July 4th, 2025. SNAP is one of the main programs affected by it.

Here are three upcoming changes that may affect you regarding your SNAP eligibility and benefit amounts.

1. SNAP Work Requirements Will Apply to More People

Essentially, a lot more people will now have to meet a 20-hour-per week work requirement to continue to receive SNAP benefits. This is the Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirement, also known as the "time limit." Your SNAP caseworker can help you figure out if this affects you.

If you don't meet ABAWD work requirements but need to, you are limited to three months of benefits every three years.

2. Future Benefits Won't Go Up As Much

Some changes in this bill won't affect current benefits, but will result in future benefits not going up as much as they otherwise would have.

3. Some Households Won't Be Able to Claim the Heating and Cooling Utility Expense

On our SNAP calculator, you'll see that it currently says:
Which of the following utility bills do you pay?
Check utilities paid separately from your rent or mortgage. Also check "Heating and Cooling" if you received a payment over $20 from LIHEAP.
Being able to check the "Heating and Cooling" box can make a huge difference in SNAP benefits (often like $100/month). Some households who have their heating expenses included in their rent are still able to get this heating allowance (and check this box) by receiving a benefit from the LIHEAP program.

With the new changes to the bill, that last part, "Also check "Heating and Cooling" if you received a payment over $20 from LIHEAP" will only apply if there is someone over 60 or with a disability in the household.
Who does this affect? This may lower your benefit amounts if all these apply:
  1. You do not pay a heating or cooling bill separate from your rent AND
  2. You do not have anyone over 60 or with a disability in your household AND
  3. You're currently receiving a LIHEAP benefit over $20 at least once per year (you might be currently getting $20.01 or $21 as cash on your EBT card)
This is more likely to affect households in:
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Montana
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Washington
Want to learn more? Read our full analysis here.

When will these changes take effect?

The bill did not include an official implementation date for the new SNAP work requirement rules. It appears states are currently awaiting federal guidance. This page will be updated as new information becomes available about when states will begin applying the new rules. Once there is an official implementation date, states would likely have 120-days to implement the changes.

Separately, many states have existing ABAWD work requirement waivers, many of which would not be able to be approved under the new rules. It's unclear whether those waivers would remain active until they expire, or they would expire earlier than their original expiration date. Most of the current waivers appear to expire in 2025, with only a few extending past Feb 2026.

Other

There are more SNAP policy changes in the bill. You can read the full bill details here.