Single mother in Minnesota may lose SNAP benefits under new work requirements
10 reported
A single mother in Minnesota, identified only as Mara, may lose her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to new work requirements under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Mara, who has two teenage children and has been unemployed since August, said losing SNAP would leave her with no funds for food. Previously, SNAP recipients with children under 18 were exempt from work requirements, but the new law limits that exemption to children under 14. Mara’s youngest child turned 14 in December, making her ineligible for the exemption. She has applied for over 100 jobs since being let go from her part-time administrative assistant role. The White House stated that SNAP was intended as temporary help and has become too bloated, while policy experts argue the changes do not account for challenges faced by single parents or the sluggish job market. The Congressional Budget Office estimates roughly 2.4 million people will lose food benefits over the next decade due to the new requirements.
What’s reported
Mara is a single mother in Minnesota with two teenage children; her youngest turned 14 in December.
She was let go from her part-time administrative assistant job in August due to workplace restructuring.
She has applied for over 100 positions, attended job fairs, and taken resume-writing workshops.
The new work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act exempt only SNAP recipients with children under 14 from working, volunteering, or job training at least 80 hours a month.
The White House said SNAP was intended as temporary help and has become too bloated.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates roughly 2.4 million people will lose food benefits in a typical month over the next decade, including 300,000 parents with children 14 or older.
In Minnesota, recipients who do not qualify for an exemption or meet work requirements risk losing assistance as early as April 1.
The new law also imposes work requirements on veterans, homeless people, young adults aging out of foster care, and able-bodied adults without dependents ages 55 to 64.
Waivers for work requirements now only apply to areas with an unemployment rate above 10%, except Alaska and Hawaii.
Mara turned to food banks during a government shutdown in November that disrupted SNAP benefits, but noted food pantries often lack gluten-free foods for her daughter with celiac disease.
Key figures
Mara (single mother in Minnesota, last name withheld)
Lauren Bauer (researcher at the Brookings Institution)
Gina Plata-Nino (SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center)
The White House (statement attributed to the administration)
Sources: NPR
