Trump plans to cut food aid, including school lunches

By RealWV Staff,

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Trump Administration proposed a new rule on Tuesday which could cut food benefits for more than 6 million Americans, including children receiving free meals at public schools.

The proposed US Department of Agriculture rule would institute income restrictions on Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as “food stamps.” The cut comes in addition to previous SNAP changes in 2025 which removed more than 5 million people from the food benefits.

To read the rule and analysis of it from Trump Administration officials, click here.

Highlights of the impact caused by the rule change include:

• 6.3 million individuals in 3.2 million households will lose their SNAP benefits entirely.
  • The 3.2 million families impacted make up 17 percent of SNAP households.
• SNAP benefits will be cut by $50.82 billion.
  • Federal spending on benefits will be cut by $44.65 billion over 5 years (FY2027-FY2031), and state spending on benefits will be cut by $6.17 billion.
• SNAP administrative expenses will increase by $1.24 billion.
  • Federal spending on administrative expenses will increase by $309.5 million over five years.
  • State spending on administrative costs will increase by $928.5 million.
• Increased burden on participants is estimated to be approximately $71.7 million over five years.

Because SNAP participation is often used to streamline eligibility for basic needs programs, the proposed rule’s effects reach beyond the program itself to other programs, including:

• 1.78 million children would no longer be categorically eligible for school meals. Of those children:
  • 97 percent would likely remain eligible but need to go through an onerous paperwork process to maintain eligibility.
  • 93,000 children would be shifted from free to reduced-price school meals.
  • 28,000 children would lose free school meals entirely and have to pay full price.
• 42,000 children will no longer receive Summer EBT (“Sun Bucks”) beginning in the summer of 2029.
  • An estimated 13,000 of these children would lose benefits they qualify for due to administrative burden (i.e., not applying for SEBT, even though they remain eligible).
• 5,500 women, infants and children would be kicked off the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

At publishing time, no West Virginia officials had commented on the proposed rule change. Stay tuned to RealWV for updates.