Are you, your children or anyone else in your household receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits?

 

What is SNAP?

 

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, is a federally funded program administered by the states that helps families buy food and groceries. In Texas, SNAP benefits are distributed and used through the Lone Star Card, a plastic card used as a credit card. SNAP benefits can be used at stores that accept the Lone Star Card to purchase food. You cannot use SNAP benefits to buy alcohol, tobacco products, nonfood items, vitamins, medicine, food eaten in the store, or hot foods.

 

SNAP is for people with low household income and resources. It is also for people who get disability benefits, veterans and their families.

According to the Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, in Texas, SNAP supports more than 1.6 million families or over 3.5 million residents. Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties account for approximately 22% of all SNAP cases in Texas. Among residents who receive SNAP benefits in Houston, 51% are children under the age of 18 and 11% are older adults 65 and over.

 

Do immigrants qualify for SNAP?

 

A federal law, the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, limits SNAP eligibility to U.S. citizens. Certain lawfully present non-citizens may also qualify for SNAP if additional requirements are met. For example, legal permanent residents (LPR) may qualify for SNAP after five years or with 40 work credits. US citizen children living with immigrant parents may be eligible for SNAP regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

 

How is the Federal government shutdown affecting SNAP?

 

The Texas Department of Health and Human Services said that it will not make November SNAP payments if the federal government shutdown continues after October 27, 2025.

 

What changes are coming to SNAP?

 

The new legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) includes $186 billion in cuts to the SNAP. OBBBA shifts program costs to the states. For example, starting in FY27, the new legislation requires states to pay 75% of administrative costs while increasing administrative costs by imposing new work-reporting requirements. Further, starting in FY2028, states must provide a portion of the benefits. In addition, OBBBA expands work reporting requirements by increasing the monthly work hours while eliminating several categories of exemptions.

 

In November 2025, in Texas, the cut off age for work requirements rises from 59 to 65 and the minimum work hours increases from 30 hours per month to 20 hours per week. This means adults between the ages 60 and 65 will need to work or participate in a work program at least 20 hours per week to continue receiving SNAP benefits for longer than three months. Exemptions for veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and young adults aging out of foster care are eliminated. As to the exemption for an adult caring for a child under 18, the child’s age is lowered to 14.

 

If you receive a notice of termination or denial of your SNAP food benefits from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Lone Star Legal Aid may be able to help. You may apply for their help online or find their contact information https://www.lonestarlegal.org/

 

If you need information about food assistance, click here. See below, in Resources for more information.

 

Resources:

 

Food Assistance in the Greater Houston Area, HILSC. 

 

Find Food Near You, Houston Food Bank. https://www.houstonfoodbank.org/find-help/find-food/?utm_source=homepagebanner&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=homepageslider

 

Food Pantry Near You, clic2Houston. https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/10/01/list-locate-a-food-pantry-near-you-in-houston-for-essential-food-assistance/

 

Food Pantry Program Search (Texas, statewide) https://www.foodpantries.org/st/texas

 

Rice University, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Urban Edge (May 12, 2025). https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/cuts-snap-would-impact-hundreds-thousands-houston-households

 

SNAP changes coming to Texas November 1: What you need to know. Wilwan Gologun, Click2Houston (October 14, 2025). https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/10/14/snap-changes-coming-to-texas-november-1-what-you-need-to-know/

 

Urban Institute. SNAP Cuts in OBBB Act Leave Almost 3 Million Young Adults Vulnerable to Losing Nutrition Assistance (August 6, 2025). https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/snap-cuts-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-leave-almost-3-million-young-adults-vulnerable

 

Feeding Texas. https://www.feedingtexas.org/learn-about-hunger/hunger-in-texas/

 

Texas Law Help, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid. https://texaslawhelp.org/article/public-benefits

 

Texas Health and Human Services Commission. https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/food/snap-food-benefits

 

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP Provisions of the OBBB Act of 2025 Information Memorandum (September 4, 2025). https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/obbb-implementation

 

SNAP Eligibility | Food and Nutrition Service