USDA’s 2026 SNAP Proposal: Who Could Be Affected by Changes to Eligibility?

Does anything change today?

For now, follow your state agency’s current rules and keep applying if you need SNAP. Do not stop using benefits because of this announcement.

The proposal is Federal Register document 2026-22936, citation 91 FR 72454, docket FNA-2026-0661, RIN 0584-AF10.

What USDA wants to change

Categorical eligibility lets a household that qualifies for certain other public assistance programs qualify for SNAP without repeating every part of the same financial review.

Today, states can use some benefits and services paid for with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) money as a SNAP eligibility pathway. USDA proposes limiting that route to households receiving TANF assistance under 45 CFR 260.31(a). For this pathway, all members of the SNAP household generally must receive the qualifying assistance through the program.

That definition does not mean cash only. It includes cash, payments, vouchers, and other benefits designed to meet a family’s ongoing basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing, utilities, and household items. It can also include certain supportive services, including transportation and childcare for families who are not employed.

The key distinction is between TANF assistance and TANF non-assistance:

See the full 45 CFR 260.31 definition. For example, transportation support for an unemployed family can count as assistance; the same support for an employed family is listed as non-assistance.

The proposal also covers State Maintenance of Effort (MOE) programs. MOE is state spending that counts toward a state’s federal TANF funding requirement. A program funded with MOE money could still support categorical eligibility if its benefit meets the 45 CFR 260.31(a) definition. MOE-funded non-assistance would no longer qualify.

To make this change, USDA proposes replacing “cash” with “assistance” in 7 CFR 273.2(j)(2)(i)(A), and removing other provisions that let states use TANF- or MOE-funded non-assistance benefits and services.

What is Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility?

Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility, or BBCE, is a state option that uses eligibility for certain TANF- or state MOE-funded benefits or services as a path to SNAP. A household may qualify through a TANF-funded service, without receiving TANF cash.

For example, a state may use enrollment in a TANF-funded employment or case-management service as its BBCE pathway. Under current state rules, that household may qualify for SNAP even if its income or savings are above regular federal limits. Income still helps determine the benefit amount, and other SNAP rules apply.

BBCE can raise a state’s gross income limit, increase or remove the resource test, and change how the state verifies eligibility. USDA reported that, as of December 2025, 46 states used BBCE; 37 had gross income limits above the regular federal SNAP limit; and 41 had no resource limit. Not every household in those states qualifies; rules differ by state. See the USDA BBCE state chart.

Who could be affected?

Households could be affected if they currently qualify through a TANF-funded non-assistance benefit or service that their state uses for BBCE. The greatest risk is for households whose income or countable resources exceed regular federal SNAP limits and whose eligibility depends on that pathway.

Losing BBCE eligibility would not automatically mean losing SNAP. A household may still qualify under regular federal rules or another categorical eligibility pathway.

Households may be less affected if they meet regular SNAP income and resource rules, receive qualifying TANF assistance under 45 CFR 260.31(a), or qualify through another applicable pathway such as actual receipt of qualifying SSI or General Assistance benefits. Older adults and people with disabilities also have special SNAP income and resource rules. The state must assess each household’s circumstances.

A separate change: “authorized to receive”

Current rules refer to households whose members receive or are “authorized to receive” certain TANF, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or General Assistance (GA) benefits. USDA proposes removing “authorized to receive” throughout the relevant categorical eligibility rules at 7 CFR 273.2(j).

Under the proposal, a household would need to actually receive the qualifying benefit, rather than only be approved or authorized to receive it. This change applies to the TANF, SSI, and GA wording—not just TANF. It does not propose ending all SSI- or GA-based categorical eligibility: households actually receiving qualifying benefits may still use those pathways.

What does USDA’s 6.3 million estimate mean?

USDA estimates that about 3.2 million households containing 6.3 million people would no longer receive SNAP because their income or resources exceed federal limits. That is about 16.9% of participating households and 17.6% of participants.

USDA says the proposal could reach its full effects in FY 2029. That is a projection year, not a confirmed start date. These figures are forecasts, not people who have already lost SNAP. The model uses Census Survey of Income and Program Participation data from December 2019 to estimate resources. Actual results could differ if the final rule changes, states implement it differently, or households qualify another way.

FY 2027 SNAP income and resource limits

For the 48 contiguous states, Washington, D.C., Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the regular federal monthly income limits for October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027 are:

Gross income is income before SNAP deductions. Net income is what remains after allowable SNAP deductions, which may include earned-income, childcare, housing, and certain medical costs. Most households without an older adult or person with a disability must meet both income tests. Households with an older adult or person with a disability generally need to meet the net income test, not the gross income test.

The regular federal resource limit is $3,000 for most households or $4,750 if at least one member is age 60 or older or has a disability. Countable resources can include cash and money in bank accounts. A primary home and most retirement or pension plans are generally excluded, though withdrawals may count as income or resources depending on how often they are taken.

These standards do not apply to every household in every state today: BBCE can raise limits or remove the resource test. Alaska and Hawaii have different income limits. Check the USDA FY 2027 SNAP tables and SNAP eligibility guidance, along with your state’s current rules.

Could children lose other food benefits?

USDA estimates that about 1.78 million children could lose automatic eligibility for free school meals through SNAP. But losing automatic eligibility does not mean losing free meals: USDA estimates about 97% would still qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income and could use another certification process. Its estimates include 1.66 million children still receiving free meals, 93,000 moving to reduced-price meals, and 28,000 paying full price. See our guide to free school lunch income limits for 2026–2027.

For Summer EBT (SUN Bucks), USDA estimates about 42,000 children could potentially stop receiving benefits beginning in summer 2029. That includes about 13,000 who might remain eligible but not apply through another process.

For WIC, USDA estimates that 16,500 of 22,000 participants who qualify through BBCE would still meet income rules and could qualify another way. The remaining 5,500 would not qualify after an individual review.

What should SNAP recipients do now?

There is no need to take special action because a proposal was published.

How to comment on the proposal

USDA will accept comments through December 10, 2026. The docket ID is FNA-2026-0661. Submit a comment through the official Regulations.gov page.

USDA also published a separate proposal, Modification to Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults. It addresses SNAP time limits and work requirements. It is a different proposal and is not part of the categorical eligibility changes discussed here. For background on current rules, read our guide to SNAP work requirements.

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