About the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Impact on People

  • This past year, an average of 41.7 million people — about one out of every eight people in America — received SNAP benefits each month.
  • Most people who benefit from SNAP are children, older adults, and people with disabilities who cannot work. SNAP benefits help reduce food insecurity: the program has been proven to reduce the likelihood of food insecurity by as much as 30%.
  • SNAP is also a powerful anti-poverty tool. SNAP benefits increase household incomes, lifting some of the burden off food expenses, and helping families to cover the cost of housing, utilities, medicine, and other necessities. In 2022, SNAP benefits and emergency allotments raised 30% of SNAP households above the poverty level.
  • If SNAP benefits are disrupted, families who rely on SNAP to feed their children, pay for groceries, and cope with rising food prices will face immediate hunger, increased financial hardship, and mounting stress. Children are particularly impacted: consistent access to nutritious food is crucial for growth, health, and development. When households lose SNAP support, family members are more likely to skip meals, reduce nutritious food purchases, and face both short- and long-term health consequences.

Impact on Economy and Communities

  • SNAP is not only a lifeline for families—it is one of the most effective tools during economic downturns. Research shows that every $1 billion in new SNAP benefits can support about 13,560 jobs—including nearly 500 in agriculture.
  • SNAP has also been shown to have a positive and significant impact on local employment, especially in rural counties, increasing employment by about one job per $25,000 of additional SNAP spending. About 250,000 retailers rely on SNAP sales, and for rural and independent grocers, those sales make up an even greater share of their business. When households use SNAP benefits, they stimulate the economy by $1.54 for every $1.00 spent.
  • A halt in SNAP benefits would reduce consumer purchases at grocery stores, food retailers, and throughout the food supply chain—leading to lost sales, fewer jobs and weakened local economies. Community hunger-relief systems (such as food banks and pantries) will face a surge in demand. With millions of people suddenly losing access to the typical grocery support they rely on, emergency food providers will do everything they can to meet immediate needs. These programs are strongest when they work together with community partners. State and local government systems will be strained as they grapple with processing delays, backlogs of new SNAP applications and recertifications—compounded by increased demand for other emergency services. A SNAP disruption wouldn’t just increase hunger, it would ripple through the economy, devastating the systems that help communities stay strong.