The Impact of SNAP Benefit Suspension and Changes on Massachusetts Residents

Massachusetts Attorney General Campbell at a protest for SNAP benefits at the State House by Alison Kuznitz/SHNS. Courtesy of State House News.

The United States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as SNAP, was temporarily suspended during the federal government shutdown in November of this year. The shutdown lasted for a total of 43 days, making it the longest federal government shutdown ever. However, the temporary suspension of SNAP benefits was only in effect for the first week of November, and benefits remained functional during the shutdown in October. Less than a week after SNAP funding paused, two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration had to fund SNAP benefits during the shutdown—forcing the Trump administration to agree to partial payments to support the program. This was the first time in the history of the SNAP benefits program that partial payments had to be issued—SNAP benefits have never been impacted by government shutdowns prior. 

SNAP benefits operate through electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards, which replaced paper food stamps starting in 1984. EBT cards load government benefits onto the card as if it were a debit card. The card is connected to a person, or family, with pre-set benefits rather than functioning as a bank account. SNAP benefits support low-income families to cover their grocery budget to help them afford nutritious food. SNAP benefits are available to lawful residents of the United States, with multiple stipulations: able-bodied adults must be actively working at least 20 hours a week to be eligible for SNAP benefits, unless they are under 18 or over 65, are medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment, are responsible for a dependent under 14, or are pregnant. 

SNAP benefits have already been under scrutiny because of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, which was passed into law in July, specifically over eligibility and enrollment requirements for people to access and receive the benefits. The bill restricted the eligibility of specific groups’ access to the benefits; changing work parameters, eligibility of immigrants, and other guardrails on the program. The bill is also set to reduce SNAP funding by about $186 billion over the next 10 years, which would be the largest cut in the program’s history. The recent temporary suspension of benefits during the government shutdown was just the latest in a series of continuing devastating hits to the program. 

According to data from Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan Think Tank, in May 2025, around 42 million people in 22 million households across the U.S. received SNAP benefits. The suspension negatively impacted households in every state as Harvard Professor, Sara Bleich, who served in the Biden administration as the Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service explains. “There is strong evidence that SNAP lifts families out of poverty, reduces food insecurity, and lowers health care costs," claims Bleich in an interview regarding changes to SNAP benefits in November 2025 with the Harvard Kennedy School. 

Data from Massachusetts shows that 1 in 6 residents in the state are enrolled in SNAP—representing over 1 million people across 650,000 households. Among those receiving benefits over one-third are younger than 18 years old, and a quarter are over 60 years old. Around one-third of the recipients in Massachusetts are disabled, and about 20,000 are veterans. About two-thirds of SNAP households in Massachusetts live below the poverty line—meaning their annual income is less than $21,150 for a family of two. Around 39% of SNAP recipients in the state are white, 26% identify themselves as being Hispanic or Latino, 17% are Black, 4% are Asian, 2% report more than 1 race, and 38% disclose their racial identification.

In Massachusetts, SNAP shoppers account for around 20% of grocery stores, supercenters, and retail stores, according to a court document filed in August 2025 by the Healey administration. For Massachusetts, SNAP is an economic driver for local businesses in the state, generating almost $3 billion annually for over 5,000 businesses. 

Similar data is true across the U.S., “Every dollar distributed through SNAP generates about $1.50 to $1.80 in economic activity by supporting jobs in grocery stores and providing income to local farmers”, says Bleich. Withholding SNAP benefits not only hurts the benefits recipients, but also the local state economies.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, in collaboration with 20 other state attorney generals, sent a joint letter to the USDA urging the agency to clarify the changes to SNAP benefit restrictions in the wake of the Big Beautiful Bill. The letter emphasized the importance of clarifying some of the new language in the bill surrounding the eligibility and requirements for various groups to receive SNAP assistance. Campbell and the other attorney generals argue the changes to eligibility and requirements are unlawful, as well as confusing and causing unnecessary complications for people to collect their benefits. 

“Prohibiting people from receiving food assistance—beyond the eligibility limits established by Congress—is illegal and cruel. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in urging USDA to immediately correct their guidance so that all eligible SNAP recipients can access these essential benefits,” Campbell stated. 

Campbell is specifically talking about refugees and immigrants who were previously eligible for SNAP benefits, but are not explicitly mentioned in the OBBBA, making it unclear for state agencies and the impacted people themselves as to what benefits they are entitled to. The letter and statement from Campbell emphasizes the continuing battle of ensuring fair and just distribution of SNAP benefits in light of the Trump administration’s changes to the vital program after the OBBBA. 

In addition to Attorney General Campbell’s advocacy efforts, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has also spoken out about the impact of the changes and disruptions to SNAP. She facilitated a $4 million payment from Massachusetts emergency food assistance programs to meet increased demand ahead of the shutdown, and was vocal about her frustration over the suspension, saying, “You need to pay all benefits, and you need to pay all benefits for the duration of this federal shutdown,” and “all around, this is a terrible situation, what’s happening. And I just call on the president to end it.”

Although SNAP benefits are reinstated and fully functioning again, the changes and disruptions to the program, due to the OBBBA as well as the federal government shutdown, are creating uncertainty over changes to the legislation.