USDA Proposal Would Put Food Assistance Out of Reach for Millions

WASHINGTON (Nov. 10, 2026) — Save the Children expressed deep concern today over a new U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal to restrict the ability of states to streamline access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other nutrition assistance, affecting millions of children across the country.

USDA estimates that if the proposed changes to Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) were fully implemented, approximately 6.3 million people would lose SNAP benefits. The agency also projects ripple effects across programs serving children and families, including 1.78 million children losing automatic eligibility for free school meals, approximately 42,000 children potentially losing Summer EBT benefits, and 5,500 women, infants and children losing eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

“At a time when families are struggling with the cost of food, housing and other basic necessities, we should be making it easier for children to get the healthy food they need, not putting new barriers in their way,” said Patrick Quirk, Chief Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns Officer at Save the Children. “This proposal would not only take SNAP away from millions of people. It could also make it harder for eligible children to access school meals, Summer EBT and WIC, multiplying the harm for families already struggling to afford food.”

BBCE allows states to align SNAP eligibility with certain benefits and services provided through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The flexibility is currently used by 46 states and territories, with states adopting different income and asset policies based on the needs of families they serve. BBCE can soften the “benefit cliff” for low-income working families whose earnings or assets slightly increase but who continue to struggle with the cost of basic necessities.

“These are working families living on tight budgets, where even a modest increase in earnings falls short of keeping pace with the rising cost of groceries, rent and childcare,” said Eyang Garrison, Managing Director for Domestic Policy at Save the Children. "States need the flexibility to make nutrition assistance work for the families they serve, especially at a time when the cost of groceries, rent and childcare remains high. This proposal would significantly limit that flexibility, making it harder for states to meet the needs of children and families struggling to make ends meet.”

Save the Children is concerned that USDA’s estimates may not capture the full effects of additional paperwork and administrative barriers on eligible families. Families living in rural areas, in particular, may face long distances to benefit offices, transportation challenges and other obstacles when required to complete additional applications or eligibility determinations.  

“We know from our work with families that access to nutrition assistance depends on more than eligibility on paper,” Garrison said. “When parents must navigate another application, travel long distances or produce additional documents, eligible children can fall through the cracks. That means less food at home, fewer healthy meals and greater instability for children who need our support the most.”

Millions of schoolchildren are directly certified for free school meals based on their households’ participation in SNAP. Fewer children receiving SNAP could affect some schools’ ability to use the Community Eligibility Provision, a popular paperless option used by eligible high-poverty schools and districts to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. Save the Children is urging USDA to fully examine these potential effects before moving forward. 

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