Single mother in Minnesota may lose SNAP benefits under new work rules
8 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 after her part-time administrative assistant role was eliminated, estimates she has applied for over 100 jobs. Previously, SNAP recipients with children under 18 were exempt from work requirements mandating 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, or job training. The new law limits that exemption to parents with children under 14, and Mara’s youngest child turned 14 in December. The White House stated that SNAP was intended as temporary help and has become “bloated,” while policy experts argue the changes do not account for challenges faced by single parents or sluggish job markets. 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 may lose assistance as early as April 1.
What’s reported
Mara is a single mother in Minnesota with two teenage children; she asked that her last name be withheld due to stigma.
She was let go from her part-time administrative assistant role in August due to workplace restructuring.
She estimates she has applied for over 100 positions and attended job fairs and resume-writing workshops.
The new work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act exempt only parents with children under 14; Mara’s youngest turned 14 in December.
The White House said SNAP “was intended to be temporary help” and has become “so bloated that it is leaving fewer resources for those who truly need help.”
The Congressional Budget Office estimates 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 may lose assistance as early as April 1.
Mara’s daughter has celiac disease, requiring gluten-free foods, which are more expensive and not always available at food banks.
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)
President Trump (mentioned as signing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act)
Sources: NPR
