By Navya Pandit
Maryland residents unable to prove they are working 20 hours a week could lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by the end of this month, according to new state legislation.
In Maryland, nearly 680,000 residents rely on food assistance from the government to make ends meet. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act could change that. The bill now requires able-bodied people from ages 18 to 64 to meet new work requirements, repealing exceptions previously granted to veterans, the homeless and young people coming out of foster care, which threatens to increase food insecurity.
“I think these new SNAP work requirements are an unnecessary overreach that will end up hurting people more than helping them,” said Alba Costa Lara, a freshman public policy major. “The state had other options, but instead chose a path that creates confusion, administrative barriers and the real possibility that thousands of people will lose food assistance even if they’re trying to comply. It feels like a policy failure that could have been avoided with better planning and a more humane approach.”
SNAP originated during the Great Depression and provided families with access to food in times of economic disparity. The program has helped over 41.7 million people, or nearly one in eight Americans, underscoring its widespread impact on the public.
Despite the program’s apparent need, some officials, including U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, believe that this should only be a temporary solution until a person finds employment. However, that is not a sustainable solution for all.
Many Marylanders, despite working, are still struggling to put food on the table and are dependent on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families, according to Madeline Shrier, a junior economics and French major. Taking away SNAP benefits means that more people would have to rely heavily on food banks and charities, Shrier said.
Shrier, a former Howard County Food Bank volunteer who now works at the University of Maryland Campus Pantry, said that the decision to take away SNAP benefits as per these new work requirements is not right.
“Everyone needs food to live. A lot of Americans live below the poverty line and that can be harmful,” Shrier said.
She said that the UMD Campus Pantry provides free, nutritious food to help alleviate insecurity on campus. Shrier said that the pantry not only provides dry and canned goods, but also fresh produce and meat, which are not always available at other food banks and charities.
UMD Campus Pantry Manager Larry Tumlin echoed a similar sentiment, and said that the “campus pantry is there for [students and staff]” and has worked relentlessly since 2014 despite setbacks like COVID-19, issues with immigration and the government shutdown.
Nearly 27% of the UMD population struggles with food insecurity, according to a 2025 Food Access and Student Wellbeing survey. The pantry serves as a welcoming and educational resource for students, aiming to break the stigma around its use and teach students how to cook easy, nutritious meals.
Other food assistance programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, are also working to address food insecurity throughout the country. However, the respective programs cannot provide assistance to people if they exceed or do not meet the bare minimum number of working hours.
Some Americans will have to adjust and rely more on local assistance as the federal government continues to cut social programs through new legislation. Mercy Kassim, a freshman microbiology and nutrition major, disagrees that the work requirements will solve the issue of food insecurity.
“Many of those affected are likely in the middle of finding work or applying for disability assistance, and that doesn’t mean their need for proper nutrition disappears,” Kassim said. “Taking away food assistance doesn’t solve the problem, it only deepens it. Access to healthy food is a foundation for rebuilding stability and health, not a privilege to be earned.”
Featured Image: The exterior of the UMD campus pantry on Feb. 19. Photo by Miller Rogers-Tetrick.