On July 4, President Donald Trump signed HB 1, also called the One Big Beautiful Bill, which made his 2019 tax cuts permanent, dramatically increased the budget for immigration enforcement, and raised the country’s debt ceiling.
It also brought the biggest cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since the food stamp program started 86 years ago.
Under the bill, an estimated $186 billion in funding has been slashed through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The bill also requires SNAP recipients to work or attend work training for 10 more years than before and added other restrictions, which went into effect Sunday, Feb. 1.
Children and seniors account for 38% and 24% of Florida 2.9 million SNAP recipients, respectively, the Miami Herald reported in 2025. More than half of all Florida households receiving SNAP benefits include someone with a disability.
Here’s what to know.
What is SNAP? What are SNAP benefits?
The federal SNAP program allows no- and low-income people and households to buy nutritious foods. It grew out of the national food stamp program started in 1939.
About 42 million Americans in 22 million households receive SNAP benefits, according to the latest numbers. That works out to nearly 1 in every 8 people in the country, PEW Research reported.
A one-person household had a maximum monthly allotment of $298 in 2025, while a three-person household could get a maximum of $785 and a five-person household could receive $1,183, according to the USDA. There are special additional rules for households with elderly or disabled members.
SNAP benefits can only be given to an individual or household for three months out of a 36-month period unless the participant meets additional work-related expectations beyond the general requirements.
What are the new changes to SNAP from Trump’s spending bill?
The bill makes it more difficult to qualify for benefits and passes some of the costs to the states.
Additionally, the bill significantly restricts benefits to apply only to certain lawful permanent residents and U.S. citizens, and it eliminates eligibility for others legally present in the United States. This includes those who have qualified for conditional entry under the asylum and refugee laws or based on urgent humanitarian reasons, such as survivors of domestic violence or human trafficking.
States are also now responsible for up to 15% of benefit costs, depending on the payment error rate, and are saddled with increased administrative costs from 50% to 75%. Due to the new state costs, Florida would be responsible for nearly $1.6 billion in costs to maintain current SNAP benefits.
Why were SNAP benefits cut?
The USDA has said these changes, among others, are intended to cut down on mass fraud, a point often cited by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, although the USDA has not provided evidence to back its claims.
Rollins previously alleged that thousands of people who didn’t qualify were receiving SNAP benefits, saying the Trump administration will “make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through … food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.”
The U.S. Congressional Research Service described SNAP fraud as “rare” in an April 7, 2025, report, stating that available data and reports indicate that many overpayments may be attributed to unintentional errors.
Critics say the move will weaken the security net in the U.S. and force many Americans to starve.
Who can get SNAP benefits?
Nearly any American whose income is at or below 130% of the federal poverty level can get SNAP benefits, although each state establishes its own requirements. In 2026, the federal poverty level is $15,960 or less for one person, or $33,000 for a household of four, based on the costs of basics like food, clothing and housing.
Under current Florida law, you may be eligible if:
Florida added a rule in 2024 that people — in some cases, everyone in the household — could be sanctioned and lose SNAP benefits if they fail to meet requirements or complete the required reports.
Florida’s age limits remain under the new federal guidelines, but bills currently under consideration by the Florida Legislature, HB 693 and SB 1758, would adjust state law to match the ages established in the One Big Beautiful Bill, among other things.
You can check your SNAP eligibility here.
How many people in Florida receive SNAP benefits?
There are roughly 2.9 million SNAP recipients in Florida, which comes out to more than one in 10 people (13%) in the state. They received $6.4 billion from the federal program in 2023, the latest year that’s been reported. That’s an average of $184 per person per month.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 59% of SNAP participants are in families with children, more than 41% are in families including older adults or disabled people, and more than 37% are in working families.
What can you get with SNAP benefits in Florida?
Households can use food assistance benefits to buy breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, dairy, and plants and seeds to grow food for the recipient’s household to eat, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families. Households cannot use SNAP benefits to buy nonfood items such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, household supplies, grooming items, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, vitamins, medicines, food to eat in the store, or hot foods.
However, those benefits are changing soon. Starting April 20, 2026, soda, energy drinks, candy, and ultra-processed shelf-stable prepared desserts will no longer be available for purchase with SNAP benefits in Florida as part of new restrictions coordinated with the USDA.
At least 18 states will implement SNAP changes this year, according to the USDA. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia started their changes in January, with the rest coming later.
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: New SNAP requirements started Feb. 1. What changed in Florida?
Reporting by C. A. Bridges and Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
