Changes made at the federal level to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will cost Louisiana millions in the coming years and make the state’s management of the program more complex.
For recipients, eligibility requirements have changed. People without legal status can no longer receive benefits. Work requirements have been removed for veterans, and work requirements have been extended until age 65.
Jan Moller, the executive director of Invest in Louisiana, said these changes mean more paperwork for the recipients, which could cost some of them their benefits.
“We know from the experience of other states that most people who lose their benefits because of a work requirement are actually eligible, but they just didn't fill out the right paperwork at the right time,” Moller said.
Gina Plata-Nino, the SNAP director for the Food Research and Action Center, said this also adds a level of administrative complexity that puts a strain on staff who manage the program.
“ It means that the state's spending more money, more time, more staff working to make sure that they're administering the program,” Plata-Nino said.
On top of the costs, states will also have to pay more to administer the program starting in October. Previously, the federal government chipped in nearly half of the cost, mostly tied to state employees reviewing applications and dispersing payments. Now, that contribution is dropping to about 25%.
Using administrative costs from 2023, the change will result in at least a $50 million increase. Gov. Jeff Landry has proposed $42.5 million in his Executive Budget to address this increase.
October 2027 brings another potential increase. For the first time, states will be asked to pitch in to pay benefits to recipients based on their error rate
An error rate is any inconsistency in the paperwork, Plata-Nino said, which can be something as small as a missing phone number for your landlord, even though there’s an email on the form.
The administrative complexity from the changes to eligibility could lead to higher error rates, she said.
Louisiana is working to cut down on the error rates. The Advocate reports the state has implemented a cash bonus for employees who catch them.
Statewide food restrictions change benefits
As of last week, Louisiana SNAP holders cannot use their cards to purchase soft drinks,energy drinks or candy due to a state-level change.
The new rule defines asoft drink as a “nonalcoholic beverage containing high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners.” Energy drinks are beverages containing a stimulant that is meant to “enhance energy, alertness, or physical performance.” Candy is defined as “a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in
combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of
bars, drops, or pieces.”
Some exceptions to the rule include carbonated water, any product that contains milk or milk substitutes, items like protein bars and baking ingredients, like chocolate chips or sprinkles.
The intent of the program is to get people on SNAP to buy healthier foods.
“If people would like to enjoy a can of pop or they want a candy bar, they can use their own money,” Bruce Greenstein, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, said. “We encourage them to do it in moderation.”
Plata-Nino said that these new rules don’t take into account the circumstances of why people buy these items, like price or distance.
There is also a program that gives people more SNAP funds to purchase healthy foods, but it’s only available through Walmart in 13 parishes spread across the state.
Plata-Nino said that changes like this might also cause more locally owned grocery stores to stop accepting the program, because it will be too costly to manage the changes.
“You have to have different coding. You also have to spend more staff time with individuals to be able to do this,” she said. “It's an additional cost to the retailers. They're gonna say, ‘This isn't worth it.”
