A new bill in Congress could change the rules for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, prohibiting them from purchasing foods in a certain category that are actually very popular among many recipients.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or “food stamps,” provides support to low- and no-income households across the United States by helping them purchase food at participating establishments. According to data from mid-2023 (the most recent available), more than 40 million people were receiving food stamps from the SNAP program, representing something like 12.6% of the United States population.
Changes could limit products that can be purchased with SNAP benefits
Republican Representative Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma introduced the Healthy SNAP Act, which seeks to exclude products such as soft drinks, candy, ice cream and prepared desserts from the list of foods that recipients can purchase with their benefits.
In a statement issued on Jan. 16, Brecheen noted that more than 20% of federal SNAP program spending goes toward foods considered junk food and sugary drinks, of which sugary drinks account for 10%. In addition, he highlighted that 75% of adults and 33% of children in the United States are overweight or obese.
Currently, households receiving SNAP subsidies are sent their funds through Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, with which they can purchase a wide variety of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products , breads, cereals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.
However, items such as hot prepared foods, alcoholic beverages, and non-food products such as cleaning supplies are prohibited. This is where the Republican legislator’s bill that seeks to ban the purchase of junk food comes into play.
What is junk food?
Junk food refers to foods high in calories, unhealthy fats, sugar and sodium, but low in essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. These foods are usually processed and contain artificial ingredients.
Examples of junk food could be fast food, sugary drinks, candy, chips and processed snacks such as highly industrialized chocolate bars. Although it can be tasty and convenient, consuming it regularly can lead to several health problems such as obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The bill is also supported by several Republicans in the House of Representatives, including Andy Biggs (Arizona), Michael Cloud (Texas), Paul Gosar (Arizona), Glenn Grothman (Wisconsin), Dan Meuser (Pennsylvania), Mary Miller (Illinois) and David Schweikert (Arizona).
Maximum SNAP benefits for 2025
The maximum SNAP benefits a family receives per month was adjusted for the year 2025 with a 2.5% increase in the cost of living adjustment (COLA). For example, for a one-person household, the maximum payment is $292, while for the average American family (two adults and two children) the maximum is $976. Then, for a family of eight members, for example, the maximum payment that can be obtained is $1,756.
These values apply to the 48 contiguous states and DC, because in states such as Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, or the US Virgin Islands the maximum amounts are different because the costs of living in those places are much higher. You can find the list of values for those regions here.
