Upcoming Changes to SNAP Benefits
What's Happening to SNAP?
What's Happening to SNAP?
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed H.R.1, often called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which creates substantial changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), which provides food benefits to low-income families.
See below for a summary of the changes that may affect you. Although the federal law is already in effect, the DC Department of Human Services is still working on implementing these changes in DC. You may receive notices from DHS as the agency processes the changes.
Many immigration statuses will now be ineligible
Immigrants granted official humanitarian protections who have long been eligible for SNAP will now lose eligibility, including refugees, asylees, and trafficking survivors (such as T Visa holders).
As of July 4, 2025, to be eligible for SNAP, you must be in one of the following categories:
- U.S. citizens
- U.S. nationals
- Lawful permanent residents (green-card holders)
- Cuban and Haitian entrants
- Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants
New work requirements for most adults
There will be a new work requirement that imposes a time limit on many people’s benefits. Most adults will now only receive SNAP benefits for 3 months within a 36-month period unless they are working at least 20 hours per week or participating in an approved work program.
This includes all adults except:
- People under 18 or over 65
- People with disabilities
- Caregivers of children under 14
- Those who are pregnant
DHS should send more detailed information to all SNAP recipients about the new requirements and exceptions before they go into effect.
Changes to the SNAP Utility Allowance
Currently, essentially all SNAP recipients in DC have a “Standard Utility Allowance” applied to their benefit calculations as part of their housing expenses – higher housing expenses can lead to higher SNAP benefits. To simplify the application process, DHS used the maximum standard utility allowance for almost all SNAP recipients.
Now, most households must provide documentation of their actual utility expenses, unless there is an elderly or disabled family member in the household. Households with an elderly or disabled family member can use the Standard Utility Allowance and won’t need to show actual utility expenses.