There has been a lot of news around the phrase “SNAP” and how it was impacted by the federal government shutdown, which was the longest shutdown in U.S. history that ended on November 15 after 43 days. But what is SNAP? What does it do and how does it work?
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It was established in 1964 during President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s administration as part of his “Great Society” program. The program was designed to help families who could not afford meals because of rising food costs. Although the amount of money each family receives is limited, it is crucial for many families to obtain food that they may not otherwise be able to afford and achieve what is known as food security. In fact, according to an assistant professor in International Health, Julia Wolfson, in her article she notes that without SNAP, the country would face a public health crisis of food insecurity and hunger.
SNAP is funded by the Farm Bill and is administered by each state. Money that is distributed can only be spent on food and beverages. To be eligible for SNAP, there are specific qualifications and requirements based on income, assets, household size, immigration status and job status. The household’s overall gross income must be below 130 percent of the defined poverty line. Current federal poverty level for a family of four, it is 31,200 dollars, meaning SNAP qualifications cut off would be a family income of 40,560 dollars or below. In 2025, the monthly income limit for a household of three was 2,978 dollars or 35,736 dollars annually. Most of the SNAP money that is distributed goes to children (39 percent) and elderly or elderly with disabilities (30 percent).
In 2023, the total money awarded under SNAP was 99 billion dollars. While that sounds like a lot of money, the average amount awarded to households was only 197 dollars per person each month, which is less than 7 dollars per day. seven dollars doesn’t even cover one meal. A McDonald Big Mac and drink, a Starbucks venti matcha latte, and a single slice of Sorrento’s pepperoni pizza each cost over seven dollars. SNAP money is loaded on a card, similar to a debit card and the card cannot be used for anything but food and drinks.
The main purpose behind SNAP was to ensure that vulnerable families, especially children, have enough money to buy groceries. Families with limited financial resources often purchase food that is less nutritious or healthy, which leads to other health issues over their lifetimes. SNAP intends to enable families to buy nutritious food more frequently so that children and adults are healthier. Healthier family members mean fewer health issues over their lifetimes which leads to lower healthcare costs. Therefore, the benefits of addressing food insecurity are not just short-term goals of providing daily meals but also long-term impacts, such as preventing health issues, solving for lower health care costs and even setting up for longer lifetimes.
Given the goals and impact of SNAP, it is clear why it received so much attention during the federal shutdown when SNAP funding was at risk. Food insecurity is a growing concern and impacts many families. The possibility of an unfunded SNAP and the growing number of homes struggling to find a way to feed their families show the urgency of this issue.