New Trump SNAP rules require 80 hours monthly work from recipients up to age 64

The Trump administration’s new requirements for the nation’s largest food aid program took effect Monday, aiming to overhaul the costly system.

President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill raised the age limit from 54 to 64 for people who must work, train or volunteer at least 80 hours per month in “eligible” activities to receive assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The new rules apply to those just joining SNAP or at their next recertification.

The size and scope of SNAP, which supports more than 40 million Americans, has come under renewed scrutiny during the government shutdown, as funding for the overall food assistance program approaches a funding gap.

In fiscal year 2024, SNAP served an average of 41.7 million participants per month — about 12% of Americans — costing taxpayers about $99 billion.

Trump says extra benefits will resume only when ‘radical left-wing Democrats’ government opens

The Congressional Budget Office projects that the new requirements will reduce the average monthly number of SNAP recipients by about 2.4 million over the next 10 years.

The Trump administration has claimed that benefit costs have spiraled out of control due to increased reliance on the program and fraud within the system.

President Donald Trump participates in a call with military service members on Thanksgiving, in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 27, 2025. (Anna Rose Leyden/Reuters)

Agriculture Secretary Brock Rollins told FOX Business last month that limited data has already revealed significant misuse, including 186,000 deceased individuals receiving benefits and about 500,000 people collecting SNAP aid in more than one state.

Agriculture Secretary Brock Rollins, center, signs one of three new SNAP food choice waivers in Idaho, Utah and Arkansas during the Make America Healthy Again event in Washington, D.C., on June 10. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)

Rollins said the Trump administration will require all SNAP participants to reapply for benefits in an effort to prevent fraud.

The Trump administration cites widespread abuse of SNAP with funding cut during the shutdown

The Trump administration is also making changes to other federal benefits.

Treasury Secretary Scott Besent posted Friday on X that his department is prepared to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing federal benefits.

Pisant said his department will issue proposed regulations clarifying that refundable portions of certain individual income tax benefits are no longer available to illegal aliens and other ineligible aliens, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Saver’s Match Credit.

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“At the direction of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, we are working to cut federal benefits for illegal aliens and preserve them for American citizens,” Besant wrote.

Fox News Digital’s Darren Botello, Amanda Macias and Madison Colombo contributed to this report.