SNAP policy changes and food insecurity: What dietitians need to know 

Since July 2025, several policy changes have taken place in the United States that can significantly alter the way registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) understand and help support food security. With the passing of H.R.1 of the 119th Congress, often referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill, changes occurred to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Changes were made with the passing of the bill, but instructions and implementation periods have been released in the months since. Today, the scope of the changes to SNAP is more evident.  

Additionally, future iterations of the annual Household Food Security Report have been discontinued. This report detailed how many Americans experience food insecurity, and its discontinuation significantly impacts the national understanding of food security. According to the report summary for the Household Food Security in the United States in 2024, 18.3 million households were food insecure. As a dietitian, it is vital to have a working knowledge of current events around food security. Here, some of these events will be summarized.  

What do dietitians need to know about the changes to SNAP? 

SNAP is designed to help low-income families with food insecurity by providing them with benefits to supplement food spending and access to nutritious foods. SNAP is the largest program in the U.S. to combat hunger. Prior to the changes, SNAP was serving approximately 42 million Americans. But in recent months, many changes have occurred, which some predict could lower that number significantly.  

The recent legislation is altering critical aspects of how food insecurity is addressed in the U.S., from how the prevalence of food insecurity is determined, how the cost of consuming a nutritious diet on a budget is determined, who is eligible to receive SNAP benefits, where the funding for SNAP comes from, and the educational support for individuals and families receiving SNAP.  

This reconstruction shifts some responsibility from the federal government for the execution of SNAP to the state governments. The state governments have increased cost-sharing with the federal government for administrative costs, have the authority to implement waivers, and will pay percentage penalties on their state’s SNAP recipient funding for errors. States are now able to implement waivers, which put state-specific restrictions on what people can or cannot purchase. A full listing can be found on the USDA website, but a common example is the restriction of soda and candy purchases with SNAP funding.  

States used to split the administrative cost of the SNAP program 50/50 with the federal government. Now, states will pay 75% of the administrative cost, while the federal government will pay 25%. However, possibly the largest hit to the state’s budget is the penalty for errors. This is the first time in SNAP’s history that a state may be required to pay part of its recipients’ SNAP benefits.  

For the 2028 fiscal year, states will pay 5% of benefits costs for an error rate of 6-8%, 10% of benefits costs for an error rate of 8-10%, and 15% of benefits costs for an error rate greater than 10%. The payment error rate looks at under- and overpayments that exceed the tolerance level (currently set at $58). This is usually due to mistakes from the administering agency or recipient income reporting. Depending on how many of a particular state’s residents are utilizing SNAP, this could result in a costly addition to a state’s budget. 

Have eligibility requirements changed for SNAP? 

In addition to changes in state responsibility, some of the eligibility requirements of SNAP have changed. The work requirements to receive the SNAP benefits have been adjusted, requiring more people to work to be able to qualify for SNAP benefits. These adjustments include increasing the upper age of people subject to the able-bodied adult without dependents regulations from 54 to 64 years and eliminating some exemptions to the work requirement.  

Some exemptions to the work requirement were added for Native Americans. Additionally, a state’s ability to waive work requirements is more limited than before. SNAP eligibility for noncitizens was also reduced. With the changes to eligibility requirements, many predict that there will be a reduction in the number of people who receive SNAP benefits.  

What other changes should dietitians be aware of?   

Supportive programs for the SNAP program have been altered. SNAP-Ed, the educational program for SNAP, has been defunded. This program offered free education for people receiving SNAP in healthy shopping, cooking, physical activity, and general nutrition. SNAP-Ed provided many free resources for RDNs and others to use in community settings to promote nutritious diets on a budget.  

In addition, the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is the basis for calculating costs of healthy foods and determining SNAP allotments for households, has been altered. The next scheduled adjustment to SNAP benefits will be adjusted for inflation and no other factors that can impact food costs, such as agricultural shifts, supply changes, or current events.  

This could reflect a disconnect between the SNAP benefit provided and the actual cost of purchasing nutritious foods on a budget. The change in the law also limits the USDA’s discretion in adjusting benefits based on household size, as the allotment structure by household size was detailed in H.R.1.   

More to learn 

These changes have been the subject of debate in the media and among many individuals, leading to many questions for dietitians. One key question is, “How will dietitians and other healthcare professionals know the prevalence of food insecurity in the United States without the Household Food Security Report?”. States and regions have often conducted their own research on food security to localized areas, and these reports may become more valuable in the future. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has historically included questions regarding food security. It may grow in importance for assessing food security, with potential for national reports to be gleaned from this survey.  

Many other questions may linger in dietitians’ minds. Will people be able to get the food assistance they need with the changes in eligibility requirements? If there’s a gap in needs being met, will non-governmental agencies potentially step in? How will states handle their increased responsibility towards SNAP costs so that their residents can receive SNAP benefits? Will a dependence on a state’s budget have an effect on SNAP participation? Currently, there is uncertainty and more to learn about the implications of these changes.  

Food security is achieved when there is consistently enough nutritious food to promote health for everyone in the household. Nutrition interventions for nutrition-related problems often become secondary when food insecurity is present. Screening for food insecurity is an important part of comprehensive nutrition assessments, especially in vulnerable populations.  

Key takeaways for dietitians navigating SNAP policy changes 

Providing patients and clients with community resources is something dietitians can do regardless of practice setting. Dietitians are the nutrition care experts for providing person-centered, evidence-based nutrition care. For a patient experiencing food insecurity, this is still the case. Nutrition interventions and education should be tailored to promote adequate, nutrient-rich intake in the presence of food insecurity. For dietitians, being aware of changes to a major federal nutrition program is essential in helping to achieve this.  

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References:  

United States Congress. H.R.1 – An act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14. Congress.gov website. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text  

SNAP-Ed. United States Department of Agriculture. Updated November 22, 2024. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/snap-ed  

Thrifty Food Plan, 2021. United States Department of Agriculture. Updated September 29, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/thrifty-food-plan-2021 

SNAP Food Restriction Waivers. United States Department of Agriculture. Updated December 15, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/waivers/foodrestriction 

Press Release: USDA Terminates Redundant Food Insecurity Survey. United States Department of Agriculture. Updated September 20, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/09/20/usda-terminates-redundant-food-insecurity-survey 

Summary of Changes to SNAP in Reconciliation (H.R.1). No Kid Hungry. Updated October 7, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/NKH%202025%20Reconciliation_SNAP%20Provisions_Final%20External_0.pdf  

Rabbitt, M. P., Reed-Jones, M., Hales, L. J., & Burke, M. P. (2024). Household food security in the United States in 2023 (Report No. ERR-337). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://doi.org/10.32747/2024.8583175.ers 

Rabbitt MP, Reed-Jones M, Hales LJ, Suttles S, Burke MP. A report summary from the Economic Research Service: Household Food Security in the United States in 2024. USDA Economic Research Service. Published December 30, 2025. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/_laserfiche/publications/113623/ERR-358_Summary.pdf?v=49033  

United States Department of Agriculture. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Key Statistics and Research. USDA Economic Research Service website. Updated July 24, 2025. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap/key-statistics-and-research