Know Your Benefits.

A new administration can mean a lot of change.

As President Trump takes office in Washington D.C., it’s important to stay informed about potential changes to your public benefits.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/EBT/Basic Food)

On July 4th, 2025, President Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law, which makes significant changes to SNAP. Learn more about the changes, and how they will affect your benefits, below.

Many of these new rules are effective immediately but, practically, it will take time for the changes to go into effect. If you currently receive SNAP benefits, you will be contacted by DSHS if your eligibility changes. In the meantime, you should continue using your SNAP benefits.

Work Requirements

• Effective immediately, Washingtonians between ages 18 - 65 will be required to work at least 80 hours per month to maintain SNAP benefits. Those who do not meet these work requirements will only be eligible to receive three months of SNAP benefits every three years.

• Certain Washingtonians are exempt from these work requirements. This includes:

  • Parents with children under the age of 14

  • Those who are physically or mentally unable to work

  • Those caring for someone who is incapacitated

  • Those applying for or receiving unemployment benefits

• Veterans, people experiencing homeless, and former foster youth are no longer exempt from work requirements. These groups of people will need to work at least 80 hours per month to receive SNAP benefits.

Immigrant Eligibility

• Effective immediately, refugees and asylees are no longer eligible for SNAP.

• Eligibility is now restricted to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, certain Cuban entrants, and COFA citizens.

Utilities Deduction

• Those who receive LIHEAP support for their utilities will no longer qualify for the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) deduction, unless the household includes a senior or person with disabilities.

• This will likely lead to a reduction in monthly benefit amounts for households that are also enrolled in LIHEAP.

Reduction in Benefits

• Starting in 2027, state governments will be required to cover a percentage of the total cost of SNAP benefits. This will add about $130 million in costs to our state budget.

• To cover these costs, the Washington state government may choose to restrict eligibility or lower benefit amounts further. More information on how this will impact SNAP recipients will be available in the coming months.

Personal Data Sharing

• In May 2025, the federal government requested the personal information of individuals receiving SNAP benefits in Washington state, including immigration status and social security numbers.

• Washington state intends to deny this request, and a federal lawsuit is ongoing. However, we encourage households with immigration concerns to consult an attorney before applying for SNAP.

Free School Meals

No changes have been made to the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, which provide free meals to kids across Washington.

There is no citizenship requirement for children to receive free school meals. Over 1,500 schools in Washington offer free school meals to all students, without requiring an application. Check here if your child’s school is included.

For schools where free meals are available but not offered to all students, low-income families can apply to participate. A social security number of the adult signing the application may be asked for, but it is not required. Your application will not be denied or delayed if you do not provide one. The information on your application is also not shared with immigration officials.

Food Banks

Food banks throughout Washington continue to distribute food under the new administration. Visit the Food Bank page for more information,

Due to Trump’s executive order on January 20, 2025, food banks are no longer considered a Protected Area for ICE enforcement. That said, most food banks have a plan in place to protect visitors against ICE, and officers are not allowed beyond a lobby area without a signed judicial warrant or consent of the food bank staff. If you have concerns about visiting your food bank in person, give them a call to learn about their law enforcement policies or ask if they offer a home delivery option.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

There have been no changes to WIC since the start of the Trump Administration. WIC provides food benefits, health screenings, breastfeeding support, and other services to pregnant and postpartum parents and infants and children under the age of 5 years. More information about WIC in Washington can be found from the Department of Health here.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

By an executive order signed on January 20th, 2025, ICE and other law enforcement agencies are now allowed to conduct immigration enforcement activities, including arrests, in areas that were previously protected. This applies to:

• Schools

• Medical facilities and hospitals

• Places of worship, such as churches and mosques

• Places where children gather, such as playgrounds and bus stops

• Social service organizations, including shelters and food banks

In Washington, public schools will not grant access to nonpublic areas of a school for immigration enforcement without a signed judicial warrant or court order. It is against the law for schools to reach out to ICE or other immigration officials.

Public areas, such as lobbies, waiting rooms, and sidewalks outside of buildings, however, are not protected and ICE does not require a warrant to conduct immigration enforcement or detain people at these locations.

If ICE agents come to your home, you do not need to open the door unless they present a warrant signed by a judge. Many social service agencies, churches, hospitals, and other locations may also choose to not cooperate with immigration enforcement except in the case of a court order or legal warrant.

For more information, see the Trump’s Rescission of Protected Area Policies and Know Your Rights pages of the National Immigration Law Center.

For agencies interested in establishing or updating a policy around non-cooperation with immigration enforcement, please see Advisory to Nonprofit Organizations and Social Services Providers from the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.