By Maya Ellis | M•I•A MEDIA GROUP
The Trump administration is proposing to tighten eligibility for the nation’s largest grocery assistance program, a change the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates could leave about 6.3 million people without benefits by fiscal year 2029. In Florida, the proposal could affect working households that qualify under the state’s broader income rules, as well as families whose children are automatically enrolled for free school meals because they receive food assistance.
The proposal, published Nov. 10, would change how states determine who qualifies for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP. It comes as participation has already fallen sharply. About 36 million people received SNAP in July, down roughly 13% from a year earlier, according to federal figures reported by The Associated Press. During that period, a 2025 federal law expanded work requirements to more adults, including people ages 55 to 64 and certain parents whose youngest child is at least 14.
How the proposal would change eligibility
Under current rules, states can use certain benefits or services funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, to establish that a household meets SNAP’s financial eligibility requirements. Households still have to apply for SNAP. The arrangement gives states flexibility to reach families that earn above the usual federal income cutoff or have more savings than standard federal rules allow.
The USDA proposes narrowing that route to households receiving TANF assistance as defined under federal rules. A referral to a service or certain short-term help could no longer provide the same path to SNAP. Households that lose access through that route would generally have to qualify under standard SNAP rules, which usually set a gross income limit of 130% of the federal poverty level and apply limits on countable assets. Some households, including those with an older adult or a person with a disability, are subject to different rules.
The administration says the change would make eligibility more consistent across states and better target benefits. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a policy research organization, says it would take food assistance away from working families, older adults and people with disabilities who are already managing tight budgets.
What South Florida families could face
Florida currently says most households can meet its gross income requirement with earnings at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, provided they meet other program rules. That difference matters to workers whose pay puts them above the usual federal cutoff while rent, utilities and child care still take up much of their income. Some families could face a loss of grocery assistance even if their wages and expenses stay the same.
The effects could reach the school cafeteria. The USDA estimates nearly 1.8 million children nationwide could lose automatic eligibility for free school meals when their households lose SNAP. About 97% of those children would still qualify for free or reduced-price meals through another process, according to the agency’s analysis. For some parents, that could mean submitting an additional application to keep meals their children already receive.
The proposal is still open for public comment through Dec. 10 under docket FNA-2026-0661. Florida households can continue to apply under current rules. Residents who need food now can search by ZIP code through Feeding Florida, which lists food banks serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
