Trump Administration Plans To Remove 3.1 Million From Food Stamps Program

Donald Trump

The Trump administration is set to announce a new set of guidelines that would remove approximately 3.1 million people from receiving food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Those most affected would be low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities.

Via Reuters:

Currently, 43 U.S. states allow residents to automatically become eligible for food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, if they receive benefits from another federal program known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, according to the USDA.

But the agency wants to require people who receive TANF benefits to pass a review of their income and assets to determine whether they are eligible for free food from SNAP, officials said.

If enacted, the rule would save the federal government about $2.5 billion a year by removing people from SNAP, according to the USDA.

President Trump has said that, given the current economy and low unemployment, many of those currently accessing SNAP don't need it. Their removal could save nearly $15 billion a year.

There are currently about 36 million Americans, or about 12% of the total U.S. population, that received aid through the SNAP program. The average benefit per person is $121 a month.