An end to the government shutdown won’t stop chaos over SNAP. Here’s why | Opinion
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Shutdown stopped SNAP distribution, triggered lawsuits and strained food banks
- New federal rules force work reporting, cut exemptions and risk 114,000 losses
- States absorb larger admin costs, raising Kentucky’s budget burden by $60M
The federal government shutdown for the past month has shut off access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, the most basic aid to help people buy groceries.
The temporary closure has sparked lawsuits, strained local food banks, and put Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens — about 600,000 of them — at more risk of hunger and malnutrition.
President Donald Trump has said he will give out partial benefits from contingency funds starting Nov. 6. It’s unclear how much longer the shutdown could continue.
But a reopened government isn’t going to solve SNAP’s problems. That’s because Trump’s main budget document, the One Big Beautiful Bill, is going to make big changes to SNAP, including a major one that started on Nov. 1. The reporting will be required even with the shutdown.
“These are really broad, probably the biggest changes to food assistance since the 1996 Welfare Reform Act,” said Dustin Pugel, the policy director for Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, known as KYCEP.
The biggest change is work reporting. Until last week, 117 of Kentucky’s 120 counties had a federal waiver that allowed SNAP recipients to get benefits without reporting how many hours a week they worked. The waiver was based on unemployment rates.
Now every able-bodied adult who gets SNAP will have to report at least 20 hours a week of work or volunteerism to the Kentucky Department of Community Based Services, known as DCBS.
The head of that agency, Commissioner Lesa Dennis, said her office expects about 63,000 people will have to start work reporting, either online, at one of the DCBS offices in every county or by mail.
There are also changes to exactly who has to report. The new rules eliminated work reporting exemptions for veterans, former foster care youth up to 25 years old and people experiencing homelessness.
“If you’re homeless, you’re already struggling, and now we’re going to say before that we can help you with food, you have to show us you are working or participating in a work related activity,” Dennis said.
Other changes include the exemption for those 55 and up has been moved to 65 years old, and previously, anyone with children under 18 was exempted. Now that exemption applies only to people with children under 14.
Legal refugees and asylum seekers, who are documented by the government, will no longer be eligible at all.
“Basically, this program sustained real damage under the BBB, which will make it difficult for people to use and get their benefits, like refugees who are some of the most vulnerable in our society,” Pugel said. “The idea of taking away food from them is mindboggling.”
The Center for Economic Policy estimates as many as 114,000 Kentuckians could lose SNAP benefits with the changes.
More money, work for states
Other changes to SNAP include a bigger share for states. Right now, SNAP’s administrative costs are split 50-50 between the federal government and states, but that will move to 75 percent to states. That will be an increase of about $60 million for Kentucky, which will have to be included in next year’s budget.
And that share depends on Kentucky’s error rate. If the rate of SNAP benefits given in error goes above six percent, the state will have to take on a bigger share. Right now the error rate is 4 percent, Dennis said.
That’s on top of much more work for the Kentucky Department of Community Based Services in keeping track of work requirements. Dennis said the state started training employees shortly after the bill passed last July.
Dennis said she believes the changes will force needy recipients off the program.
“I think there is the possibility we will see individuals not receiving SNAP benefits who should,” she said. “There’s going to be downstream impacts, more strain on communities. I even worry about downstream impacts on child welfare.
“Most families are already working or doing their best to care for their loved ones,” she continued. “If they are unable to obtain SNAP, I worry about increased reports of abuse and neglect. It’s going to cause strain on communities and individuals — that is my concern.”
The thing is that most SNAP recipients already work. A recent study of the most recent census found that 86 percent of recipients reported earnings income.
Even bigger changes are coming to Kentucky’s other big safety net, Medicaid. But that’s a topic for another column.
This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM.
