Food banks across Texas are raising the alarm over a federal policy change that could force the state to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for food assistance benefits or risk leaving millions of Texans without access to food.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced an extension of the deadline for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to apply for replacement benefits for food lost or destroyed in the July 2026 floods.
Families are becoming increasingly reliant on local food banks after cuts to Texas’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were enacted last year in the federal spending bill, sometimes referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
A judge has ruled that the U.S. government cannot stop people enrolled in the biggest food aid program from using benefits to buy candy and soda.
Advocates say the federal government’s new work requirements and immigration crackdown has limited food stamp participation. The state says the recent decline is part of normal fluctuations in enrollment.
Some Texans on SNAP say the ban on using food stamps to buy sugary drinks and candy prevents quick fixes to low blood sugar conditions.
The federal government is penalizing states for having a high error rate in their payments to food stamp recipients.
New restrictions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are now in effect across Texas. The restrictions are changing what recipients can and cannot buy at the grocery store.
Grocery stores across Texas are preparing for new restrictions set to take effect on April 1 on items purchased through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The rule, which went into effect on Nov. 1, requires recipients to work at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month, and document their hours to continue receiving benefits.
A China Grove city secretary was arrested for allegedly defrauding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid programs, according to an arrest affidavit.
Americans in five states who get government help paying for groceries will see new limits starting Thursday on soda, candy and other foods they can buy with those benefits.
Accusations of widespread fraud are at the heart of the Trump administration's policies on SNAP.
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history may be officially over, but getting everything back up and running won't happen all at once.
President Donald Trump has signed a measure to reopen the government and resume full food aid benefits that were paused at the start of November.
Some small grocery stores and neighborhood convenience stores are eager for the U.S. government shutdown to end and for their customers to start receiving federal food aid again.
U.S. college students who receive federal food aid are looking to their campuses for support because the program known as SNAP is in limbo during the government shutdown.
The Trump administration’s legal efforts to fight having to fully fund food stamps for millions of vulnerable Americans is creating an opening for Democrats eager to use the longest government shutdown in U.S. history to paint the president as callous and out of touch.
With SNAP benefits going out late, nonprofits are begging for pet food donations to prevent desperate owners from surrendering their dogs and cats to animal shelters.
The Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown.
A federal judge in Rhode Island has ordered the Trump administration to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November.
Although the federal government has said it will deposit half of November benefits, Texans are still unsure when money will land in their accounts.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joined the KSAT Q&A on Tuesday where she discussed a fund raised for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and addressed the recent resignations within her staff.
President Donald Trump’s administration says it will partially fund the SNAP food aid program in November after two federal judges required the payments to continue.
The order will expire two days after an appeals court issues a more permanent ruling on the funding while the Trump administration will continue with partial SNAP payments.
Two federal judge have ruled that the Trump administration must continue to fund the SNAP food aid program using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown.
Federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration must continue funding SNAP during the government shutdown.
Democrats say Abbott has used his authority during COVID-19, the Uvalde shooting and border operations to free up emergency funds.
A federal judge in Boston is considering a motion that would require the Trump administration to continue funding the SNAP food aid program despite the government shutdown.
It’s an unsettling time for 40 million Americans who won’t get their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in a few days.
Nonprofits are already seeing an increase in requests for food assistance, and that number could grow even more as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are paused starting Nov. 1.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joined KSAT’s Q&A segment on Tuesday to discuss the city’s efforts to help residents affected by the pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The ongoing government shutdown means more than $600 million per month won’t go to millions of Texas SNAP beneficiaries who pump that money into the state economy.
In Texas, 3.5 million Texans — including 1.7 million children — rely on SNAP, also referred to as food stamps, each month.
Food banks and pantries are preparing for a surge in demand if federal food aid is paused this weekend from the government shutdown.
Federal funds could begin running dry on Saturday that help tens of millions of Americans buy food for their families and send their toddlers to preschool if the government shutdown persists.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on.
The Trump administration says it won't use a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to keep food aid flowing in November amid the government shutdown.
A federal food aid program that helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries stands to be paused Nov. 1 because of the government shutdown.
A potential delay in payments could be on the horizon for millions of people across the U.S. who are recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Texas officials say food stamp benefits, which go to 1.7 million children, would not be distributed in November under an extended shutdown.
A judge has temporarily stopped the federal government from collecting personal information about residents in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in 21 states and Washington, D.
The GOP push to redraw the state’s congressional maps isn’t just a partisan move but one that deeply affects how Texans are represented in Congress.
A coalition of state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s demand for states to turn over personal data — including names, birthdates, and home addresses — for people who are enrolled in a federally funded food assistance program.
The deadline for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to apply for replacement benefits for food lost or destroyed in recent catastrophic flooding has been extended, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday.
The impact of the massive spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law on Independence Day is expected to filter down to infants and toddlers — a segment of the population that's particularly vulnerable to cuts to the federal social safety net.
The package includes $13.5 billion to reimburse states for border spending. It is expected to meet resistance in the House from some Texas Republicans.
The Senate parliamentarian has advised that a Republican proposal that would shift some food stamp costs from the federal government to the states would violate the chamber’s strict rules.
Big changes are in store for a food assistance program under President Donald Trump's tax-cut legislation.
Many low-income families would see cuts in health care and food benefits. The state hopes for a big reimbursement for border security spending.
Privacy and hunger relief groups and a handful of people receiving food assistance benefits are suing the federal government over the Trump administration’s attempts to collect the personal information of millions of U.S. residents who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Work requirements for Medicaid recipients, food assistance cuts and other measures in the budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would rearrange the U.S. social safety net.
Nebraska is the first state to receive a federal waiver to ban the purchase of soda and energy drinks under the food benefit program for low-income Americans long known as food stamps.
Texas’ governor joins other Republican governors making similar requests to ban purchases of candy and soda through the SNAP program.
Food banks say income stagnation and rising living costs are increasing demand at their organizations across the country — all as the federal government shuts off funding streams that provide millions with healthier, harder-to-get groceries.
As the Edinburg facility and others seek to assist people experiencing food insecurity, state lawmakers have more than a dozen bills that could tackle Texas’ food deserts.
A push to ban sugary drinks, candy and more from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may soon get a boost from new Trump Administration officials.
Texas has booted the most people from Medicaid of any state in the country. A majority of those removed lost their health insurance coverage because of procedural reasons.
Inflation, stagnant federal funding for food programs and high housing costs mean that demand at food banks still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The manager of the long-troubled water system in Missisisppi’s capital city has proposed a slight rate increase.
Texas Democrats in Congress are urging the federal government to audit the state’s Medicaid eligibility system
A federal shutdown would put thousands of Texans in financial precarity. Congress has less than a week left until the end of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, and a shutdown appears imminent.
The must-pass package of legislation known as the farm bill, which is renewed every five years, funds critical crop insurance and loans to farmers and food to low-income families.
A requirement to work 80 hours a month, starting in September, could affect 44,000 Texans over age 49. Meanwhile, attention in Congress shifts to the farm bill’s significant impact on food stamp policy.
A new state law increases what SNAP applicants’ vehicles can be worth before they’re disqualified for federal food assistance. But most states don’t take car values into consideration at all.
Democrats are deeply conflicted about the food aid requirements that President Joe Biden negotiated as part of the debt ceiling deal.
A Republican attempt to expand work requirements for federal food aid in debt legislation moving through Congress would increase federal spending by $2.1 billion over 10 years.
The value of a household’s vehicles disqualified nearly 55,000 people seeking federal food assistance in 2022. House Bill 1287 increases the threshold of car values that lead to SNAP applicants being denied aid.
The federal Farm Bill is must-pass legislation that Congress debates every five years. It includes billions of dollars in farm subsidies and pays for food assistance programs.
Work requirements for federal aid programs have emerged as a sticking point in ongoing negotiations over raising the nation’s debt ceiling, and President Joe Biden has signaled openness to a possible compromise even as many in his party have balked.
During the pandemic, Texans received extra money on their Lone Star cards through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, also known as food stamps. That extra money ends this month.
Pregnancy forced Destiny Williams to quit her job. She almost died during childbirth. Now with a newborn in tow, she’s struggling to build a more stable life for her and her children.
Thousands of local families are bracing for the end of extra food stamp benefits now that the federal government is ending a pandemic-era policy that gave millions of families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program more money every month.
Low salaries for enlisted members, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ineligibility and high rates of unemployment for military spouses are some of the factors contributing to military hunger.
Taking care of your heart is very important for your health. That’s why the American Heart Association is working with San Antonio community partners and health organizations to improve the health and wellness of those in the community.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is providing more than $300 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits for the month of August.
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SAN ANTONIO – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in 66 Texas counties can get automatic replacement benefits for spoiled or damaged food due to power and water outages in the winter storm. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission received federal funds to automatically provide the benefits. “Thank you to our federal partners for approving these replacement benefits for Texans in need,” Abbott said in a news release. Texans who do not live in the 66 eligible counties have until March 31 to report food losses. They can request their replacement food benefits by calling 2-1-1 and pressing option 2.
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President Joe Biden wants to increase federal aid that makes up for free and reduced-cost school meals during the pandemic and the benefits of people receiving SNAP food stamps. Texas families receiving pandemic-era federal food assistance for students who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals will soon see a 15% increase in their benefits. That additional aid is one of three food access issues President Joe Biden addressed in an executive order last week. However, SNAP benefits remain widely recognized as one of the best ways to stimulate the economy during a crisis. A recent analysis from the USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that $1.54 in economic activity results from every federal dollar spent on SNAP benefits.
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Texas – A lot of Texans are wondering how to apply for food stamps this year. The current program for food benefits in Texas is called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1.4 million eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas, according to state officials. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, approximately $188 million in emergency food benefits has been provided by THHS. The THHS received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size.
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Texans receiving emergency benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will continue to get their benefits through the month of September, according to Gov. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will provide approximately $188 million in emergency food benefits in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “This emergency SNAP extension will help Texans provide healthy food for their families.”More than 972,000 SNAP households will see the additional amount on their Lone Star Card by September 15, according to state officials. The $188 million in emergency funds is in addition to $1 billion in benefits that have been provided to Texans from April through August, officials said. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com.
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Families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or whose children receive free or reduced meals at school may be receiving an extra $285 this month per child. "The benefit is for families that are currently receiving SNAP benefits. But it's also been extended to any families that receive free and reduced-price meals within their school district," said Deborah Rice, assistant director of child nutrition at South San Antonio Independent School District. Abbott extends emergency SNAP benefits due to COVID-19 pandemicFamilies with children ages 5 to 18 years old that received SNAP benefits in March will automatically receive $285 per child in their Lone Stone Cards account. Families should check with their child's school district website for a link on how to apply for the P-EBT program.
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AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Health and Human Services will provide more than $168 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits to help people in the state during the COVID-19 response, Gov. HHS got federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide the maximum allowable number of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size, according to a news release. Anyone receiving SNAP benefits is included. “SNAP, commonly referred to as the food stamp program, supplements the budget of the working poor. "The additional food subsidy announced today by Governor Abbott, although still supplemental, will help fill a portion of the financial gap created by the economic crisis resulting from this pandemic.