Maryland SNAP changes hit Oct. 1 as 35,000 lose benefits and costs jump
BALTIMORE —
Changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are taking effect Oct. 1, increasing benefits for some recipients while shifting more administrative costs to Maryland.
Some SNAP recipients will see a slight increase in their payments as the federal government adjusts benefits to account for inflation, a change implemented every October.
However, Maryland is now responsible for covering millions more in administrative costs, while food distribution organizations like 4MyCiTy are already feeling the effects of reduced SNAP eligibility.
Christopher Dipnarine, founder and executive director of 4MyCiTy, said, “We continue to see a steady increase in families. We had 300 something new families sign up in August, 265 last month. We did have to shift locations here a little bit because of the volume of people coming into our program.”
The higher volume Dipnarine and his team are seeing comes as fewer people are receiving SNAP in Maryland. The state estimates that over 35,000 residents have lost their SNAP benefits due to federal eligibility changes.
Now more SNAP changes are going into effect. Under H.R. 1, starting October 1, the state will now cover 75% of SNAP administrative costs, up from the previous 50-50 split with the federal government.
“Governors and local leadership all around the country are now having to navigate the fact that we have a federal administration that passed a law and Congress that passed a law and a policy that is absolutely horrific,” Governor Wes Moore said of the federal policy.
Benjamin Shnider, a senior advisor and communications director for the Maryland Department of Human Services, released a statement saying:
“Through our efforts to minimize the harm of H.R. 1 on Marylanders, the Moore-Miller Administration has prevented an estimated 40,000 Marylanders from losing vital food assistance as compared to national averages. We face a major hurdle today as the Trump Administration breaks a long-standing promise to evenly split the administrative costs of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In Maryland, we estimate this means absorbing an additional $43.1 million in SNAP administrative costs in our state fiscal year 2027 budget– a number that may grow in the future.”
For a full fiscal year, the estimated additional cost is $57.5 million.
Advocacy groups like No Kid Hungry are concerned about the impact of these changes.
Ayesha Holmes, the organization’s director, said, “The end result of that is that our state budget, which is already stretched, will be stretched even further, and unfortunately, what we’re seeing across the country is that the result is that individuals end up not being able to access the benefits that they need, even though they are eligible.”
Despite the increased financial burden, Governor Moore assured Marylanders that the state will continue to support those in need.
“I know in the state of Maryland we are going to make sure our people are cared for,” Moore said.
Further changes to SNAP under H.R. 1 are expected next year.
Starting in October 2027, Maryland will be required to pay for SNAP benefits based on its payment error rate, which includes overpayments and underpayments.
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