The Trump administration is implementing new requirements passed last year under the Republican tax bill for individuals eligible for food stamps.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act placed stricter restrictions on the SNAP program by expanding work requirements and restricting eligibility.
Government officials say violators could lose benefits.
Economists see a silver lining in the new restrictions: people who don’t need food assistance will be forced back into the labor market.
The new changes include requiring “able-bodied adults” to work at least 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month.
The new changes will apply to some groups, such as adults without disabilities between the ages of 55 and 64. Parents or guardians whose youngest child is between the ages of 14 and 17 and a youth who has left foster care between the ages of 18 and 24 will no longer be exempt.
If people do not comply with the new laws, benefits could be restricted, similar to the purchase of food.
The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the SNAP program, says about 3.5 million people lost food stamps as a result of the president’s tax bill.
The bill also forces states to address cost and labor requirements in hopes of cracking down on fraud and waste.
