This is part of Kentucky Youth Advocates’ series on the federal landscape and the impacts on Kentucky children and families. 

It’s been a busy month in Washington as Congress works to finalize the federal budget for the next 10 years. Earlier this week, the U.S House Budget Committee narrowly advanced a budget reconciliation measure that will cut an estimated $300 million from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – the largest proposed reduction in program history. 

The proposal aligns with the stated priorities of the Trump Administration and would significantly restructure the SNAP program in ways that will impact families in Kentucky and across the country.

What is SNAP?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides benefits to low-income households to help them purchase food at participating retailers. 

Households must meet certain requirements including resource and income limits in order to be eligible for benefits. SNAP helps individuals who are unable to work, individuals who are in between jobs or looking for work, as well as individuals working in low-paying jobs or positions with inconsistent hours afford a basic diet. 

One in four children in the U.S live in families participating in SNAP. SNAP benefits supplement household budgets to allow for more consistent access to nutrition, an essential component for supporting healthy child development. SNAP is linked to numerous benefits for kids including reduced rates of food insecurity, better health, reduced healthcare costs, and improved educational outcomes. 

What does it look like in Kentucky? 

SNAP benefits are critical to helping families afford food, especially in Kentucky where one in five children live in food insecure households. In 2022, the SNAP program served over 225,481 Kentucky children. 

In addition to supporting families, the SNAP program generates jobs, benefits local farmers, and supports over 4,700 retailers in Kentucky – every $1 dollar in federally funded SNAP benefits generates $1.79 in local economic activity. The economic contribution of the SNAP program is especially vital in rural Kentucky where 1 in 5 households receive SNAP benefits. 

What could federal changes mean for Kentucky? 

Proposed cost saving measures include expanding burdensome paperwork requirements for recipients and preventing future benefit increases that would help households adjust to rising food costs.

The most significant proposal is to shift SNAP costs to states by implementing a cost share funding model. Currently, the federal government funds 100% of SNAP benefits and splits administrative costs with states, which are responsible for screening for eligibility and issuing benefits. The proposed legislation would:

  • Require states to cover 75% of administrative costs
  • Make states pay 5–25% of SNAP food benefit costs, depending on their error rate or the measure of administrative accuracy calculated by tracking overpayments and underpayments to recipients 

This proposed change has been presented as a way to cut costs by reducing fraud, but SNAP error rates do not reflect cases of fraud and states are already held accountable for any identified errors. High error rates are largely attributed to the impact of pandemic-era demands on state SNAP offices, high staff turnover, and outdated state technological systems. 

Requiring states to pay even a small share of SNAP food benefit costs would severely strain limited state budgets and restrict their ability to enact changes that improve the administrative efficiency of SNAP.  The proposed cost share funding model could cost Kentucky up to $286 million annually to continue operating the SNAP program. 

To manage the financial burden, states may be forced to raise taxes, cut other programs, reduce SNAP benefits, or tighten eligibility. Families could face longer wait times, lower monthly benefits, or even loss of critical food assistance at a time when grocery prices are rising. 

What’s next?

The consequences go beyond individual households. SNAP supports local economies, especially small businesses and grocery stores. The ripple effects of reduced access to SNAP benefits could impact entire communities. 

Congress aims to finalize the federal budget by Memorial Day and their decisions could have long-term effects on food security and state budgets. 

Advocates are encouraged to contact their federal delegates and speak up about the impact of these proposed changes on Kentucky’s kids. 

Photo by Jep Gambardella via Pexels