WASHINGTON, November 10, 2026 — The US Department of Agriculture has proposed narrowing a rule that allows some households to qualify automatically for food assistance, a change the agency estimates could remove about 6.3 million people from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if it is adopted.
The proposal would limit the use of certain Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits to establish automatic eligibility for SNAP, commonly known as food stamps. Under current rules, states can use some TANF-funded non-cash benefits and services to make households categorically eligible without requiring them to meet the usual federal SNAP income thresholds.
The USDA proposal would restrict that pathway, arguing that eligibility should be more consistent across states and more closely tied to the federal programme’s income standards. The agency’s analysis estimates that nearly 18% of current SNAP participants could lose benefits under the proposed change.
The impact would extend beyond grocery assistance. The department estimates that about 1.8 million children could also lose automatic eligibility for free school meals because SNAP participation is used to qualify families for other nutrition programmes.
The proposal is not a final rule and would not immediately change anyone’s benefits. The public will have 30 days to submit comments before the department decides whether to revise or finalise the measure.
More than 5.5 million people have already lost SNAP benefits since the administration’s earlier cuts took effect, according to USDA figures cited by Reuters. The latest proposal is likely to intensify debate over food insecurity, state flexibility and the federal government’s role in determining who receives assistance.
Supporters of the proposal say it would focus benefits on households that meet federal need standards. Critics argue that families receiving non-cash support may still face severe financial hardship and that narrowing categorical eligibility could increase administrative burdens for states and households.