(Gray News) - The Trump administration proposed a rule that could cut food stamp benefits for 6.3 million people.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal, released Monday, would limit automatic eligibility for SNAP to low-income households that receive cash assistance through the TANF program.

Households receiving noncash or nominal TANF services would no longer automatically qualify for SNAP under the proposal.

According to the proposal, the change would save $44.6 billion between 2027 and 2031. It is the Trump administration’s latest effort to curb SNAP spending, citing concerns about waste and fraud.

The proposal targets a policy known as “broad-based categorical eligibility,” which allows states to use TANF benefits such as child care or workforce training to qualify households for SNAP without applying the program’s standard income eligibility limit.

The changes would make SNAP eligibility more standardized and “preserve benefits for the truly needy,” the rule said.

The USDA also estimates that 1.8 million children would also lose eligibility for free school lunches under the proposed rule.

Nearly 18% of SNAP recipients, or about 6.3 million people, would lose benefits under the change.

The public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed rule.

Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.