Millions Could Lose Food Stamp Benefits Under New Trump Proposal

A new analysis shows millions of Americans could face losing access to food assistance under proposed rule changes by the Trump administration. In fact, if the changes had been instituted last year, it would have resulted in 3.7 million fewer people and 2.1 million fewer households receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as Snap or food stamps, during an average month.

According to The Guardian, 2.2 million households could have their average monthly assistance cut by $127, and nearly one million students could lose access to free or discounted lunches.

The analysis, by the not-for-profit Urban Institute, said that three planned changes to Snap would “significantly alter” food-based help provided to poor Americans, with disparities across the country in terms of impact. The Guardian reports the cuts in most states, but Vermont, New York, Nevada, and Connecticut would be impacted the most.

Sonny Perdue, the US agriculture secretary, wrote in a USA Today op-ed that the Trump administration was “taking steps to restore integrity to Snap and move people toward self-sufficiency.” According to Perdue, the changes restore “the dignity of work to a sizable segment of our population, while it is also respectful of the taxpayers who fund the program.”