Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps)

Food insecurity remains a major problem across the nation and particularly impacts children, low-wage workers, and people with disabilities. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—originally created as the Food Stamp Program during the Great Depression—is the largest federal nutrition assistance program in the country. Access to this economic lifeline is vital: SNAP helps more than 41 million Americans each year stave off hunger and severe poverty by providing monthly financial support to purchase food. The National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ) is a national leader in ensuring that low-income families and individuals can apply for and receive the SNAP benefits they are legally owed. Many people who need and are entitled to SNAP do not receive it because state agencies create unlawful barriers that prevent them from obtaining benefits.

Watchdog groups like NCLEJ play a critical role in leveraging the judicial system to fix what’s broken. Our systemic litigation program forces states to improve their internal systems so that states issue more benefits to more people, because a policy without proper implementation leaves marginalized communities and children hungry. We have helped tens of thousands of families access the benefits they need to prevent hunger and malnutrition.

A large body of research demonstrates the positive benefits of increased SNAP access and the cascading harms that result when low-income families cannot afford to meet their basic needs.

• A study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities states that SNAP reduces poverty for millions of people, improves food security, and is linked with improved health.
• A Johns Hopkins study shows that improving SNAP access helps reduce racial gaps in food insecurity.
• A report from Urban Institute finds that many families relied on credit cards, Buy Now Pay Later options, and payday loans to pay for groceries in 2023. Additionally, 1 in 5 adults paid for groceries with savings they did not intend to use for routine living expenses.
• A study by the USDA and CUNY found that SNAP participants have better self-reported health, take fewer sick days, and have fewer doctor visits than nonparticipants.

The Dire State of SNAP Access Today

While the extensive research on the benefits of SNAP point to the need to further expand program access, the end of COVID-era emergency SNAP benefits as well as rampant agency dysfunction prevents millions of low-income people around the country from participation despite their eligibility.

In February 2024, the USDA Secretary sent warning letters to the Governors of 44 states, as well as Washington D.C, Guam, and the Virgin Islands calling for immediate action to improve SNAP program efficiency. Application processing timeliness, wrongful denial of benefits, and lack of accommodation for disabilities and language translation services continue to pose major barriers to SNAP access, demonstrating the urgent need for NCLEJ intervention. In 2025, the Trump administration introduced major changes to SNAP funding that will likely exacerbate illegal barriers to access for eligible households.