SNAP Changes Force Single Mothers To Rethink How They Feed Their Families

For single mothers already balancing work, school, childcare, and rising household costs, changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are creating another layer of uncertainty.

Jeremiah Program, which supports single mothers pursuing education while raising children, surveyed nearly 1,800 mothers across 43 states with the Urban Institute. The research found that 85 percent had experienced food insecurity, while 97 percent had faced a housing hardship in the previous year.

Now, mothers in the program are preparing for further changes to their household budgets, with some unsure how they will replace lost food assistance.

Chastity Lord, President and CEO of Jeremiah Program, said the biggest concern is not simply the amount of SNAP available, but what happens when families lose access to it.

“A mom is still underwater.”

Chastity said the additional pressure could have consequences beyond the grocery shop, particularly when SNAP is connected to other forms of support.

“Losing my SNAP benefits affects way more than I think people even understand,” said a Jeremiah Program participant and mother of four-year-old twins.

The participant currently receives $618 in food assistance, but that figure dropped to $218 during a paid summer internship. The temporary reduction meant they had to rethink how they fed their family while working, studying, and completing an internship.

“From $200 to $600 is a very big difference in terms of what we eat for the month,” they said.

For Jeremiah Program participants, SNAP is also connected to childcare and other community resources. They said losing the benefit could potentially affect their access to an affordable YMCA membership and their childcare voucher.

“I would have to magically find over $600 just to replace whatever is lost.”

Another Jeremiah Program participant, who works full-time while raising three children, currently receives around $530 in SNAP benefits. They said they plan their shopping around sales, coupons, and whichever supermarket offers the best value.

They also rely on WIC to help cover fresh food such as eggs and milk.

“If there are going to be any more cuts, I have to be mindful that I work full-time,” they said. “I have to try to see if there is any food trucks that offer the $2 bag, if I could make it to a pantry.”

They said the combination of higher food prices and potentially reduced assistance means families may have to make increasingly difficult choices.

“I feel like a lot of parents are going to have to choose between what’s important.”

For their family, that could mean buying less meat and replacing it with beans and lentils, while spending more of their limited free time preparing food and snacks at home.

The mother also stressed that receiving SNAP does not mean they are not working.

“I do, and I need my car in order to get to the places because without it I wouldn’t be able to,” they said, explaining that their job and childcare arrangements make public transport impractical.

Chastity said that reality is important when considering how policy changes affect families.

“Single moms are not a monolith,” they said, pointing to mothers who are working, studying, and raising children while trying to move beyond the safety net.

For both participants, the uncertainty itself is a major source of stress. They said they have received little direct information about what could happen to their household.

“I’m literally just sitting here waiting,” they said. “There are millions of us either just sitting and waiting and not knowing what’s gonna happen.”

Chastity said the impact may become clearer in the months after the changes take effect, as families encounter new paperwork, eligibility rules and household costs.

“I don’t think October 1 will tell the full story,” they said. “Ask me again in November.”

For mothers already stretching every dollar, the concern is that even a relatively small change in food assistance can ripple through the rest of the household budget.

As one Jeremiah Program participant put it: “You don’t want to have to choose, can my kid eat or should we have a warm home?”

For the mothers interviewed, SNAP is about far more than what ends up in the grocery basket. It can help make childcare, education, transportation, and other necessities manageable while families work towards greater financial stability.

The mothers said they want to become self-sufficient, but warned that removing support too quickly can make that transition harder. As one Jeremiah Program participant put it, moving from hundreds of dollars in monthly food assistance to nothing leaves little room to adjust.

Chastity said the coming months will show how families ultimately absorb the changes.

“We expect more of our moms to lean on campus resources in that same way,” they said, as Jeremiah Program prepares for greater demand for emergency support.

For the mothers already doing the calculations each week, the message is clear: every dollar has a purpose, and when one part of the household budget changes, the effects can reach much further than the supermarket checkout.