SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- It’s been one year since there were federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, also known as "SNAP." Local food banks say the consequences have been dire for Bay Area families struggling to keep food on the table.
The changes started when President Donald Trump signed what he referred to as the ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’
Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Rachel Monaco, said the biggest impact in the South Bay has been the expansion of work requirements.
Student loan payments see sudden increase due cuts from ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
FILE - SNAP EBT information sign is displayed at a gas station in Riverwoods, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, file)
“(The) age range to meet those work requirements was raised up to the age of 65, and people who used to be exempt from them -- like veterans and foster youth and the unhoused -- are no longer automatically exempt from those requirements,” said Monaco.
Second Harvest serves one in six people in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The SF Marin Food Bank says more than 120,000 people in San Francisco and Marin rely on SNAP.
The Alameda County Community Food Bank provides services to one in four people in the East Bay, according to Vice President of Impact Liz Gomez.
“Cost of food and fuel are essential to families’ well-being, so that is certainly taking an even greater impact on families and individuals who were already struggling to make ends meet,” said Gomez.
Another big change with SNAP, known as CalFresh in California, is recipients having to participate in work or training programs.
Monaco says October was the first month when participants impacted by that change lost eligibility. She expects to see the ripple effect at food banks in the coming months, but there are already long lines of people waiting for food.
“We know that as CalFresh becomes more difficult to access or maintain, we do expect there will be a greater level of need for food assistance in our region that may also look like people who are already receiving more food assistance in our region that may also look like people who are already receiving food assistance,” said Monaco.
In addition to SNAP cuts, food pantries also expect to see impacts in the new year when major changes to Medi-Cal take effect, limiting people’s coverage in California.
