By LaMonika Jones
For countless families, children, older adults, disabled persons and veterans experiencing food insecurity, meeting basic human needs is like running a race you will never finish. The help is there, but for far too many families there are too many obstacles keeping them from reaching the finish line. Accessing critical resources shouldn’t be difficult.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger. Forty-two million Americans rely on SNAP each month to put food on the table. This includes more than 660,000 Marylanders, 250,000 of whom are children.
Yet for many of our neighbors, access to SNAP and other federal nutrition programs is out of reach due to red tape that deters families from getting the help they need. The current system can be difficult to navigate, forcing people to make impossible choices between paying for groceries or housing and childcare.
How did we get here?
The moment policymakers decided to prioritize the bottom line over people, we lost focus.
Since the passing of the budget reconciliation law (H.R. 1) in July, states have been scrambling to figure out how to secure the additional funding needed to cover the change in administrative and benefit cost-sharing for SNAP. Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, states will be required to cover most of the cost to implement SNAP. Prior to H.R. 1, the administrative cost to operate the program was split 50/50 between states and the federal government. Now, amid already constrained budget margins, states will have to cover 75 percent of administrative costs, while USDA will cover the remaining 25 percent.
And for the first time, states will be required to cover a portion of the benefit cost for SNAP. Prior to H.R. 1, the benefit was covered 100 percent by USDA.
In Maryland, this new cost-sharing requirement could translate into difficult budget decisions such as paying for community infrastructure improvements or paying for SNAP to support people like Ms. Williams.
Ms. Williams, 48, and a resident of Baltimore County, receives $545 per month in SNAP benefits for herself and her 18-year-old son, who is in his last year of high school. She has been out of work for over a year due to a disability and has struggled to keep food on the table. She has applied for SNAP a few times and was finally approved in September.
Ms. Williams is deeply concerned with how the brutal cuts to SNAP in H.R. 1 will create fear and confusion among families like hers.
People with disabilities are exempt from time limits on benefits; however, Ms. Williams received a notice in error saying she needs to complete work requirements to continue receiving SNAP. Her son also received a work notice at the same time he is planning for college.
She reported her disability to the Department of Social Services (DSS) but is still worried that her SNAP benefits will be terminated if she does not report her and her son’s working hours.
Ms. Williams’ story is not unique. It’s a powerful reminder of the challenges many Marylanders experience when accessing nutrition assistance programs. There must be intentional investment to ensure families are not burdened by administrative hurdles when applying for benefits.
Many of the clients Maryland Hunger Solutions assist have reported challenges with completing the SNAP application, recertifying benefits, or requesting services in person at a DSS office or via phone. With interviews being a requirement to complete the SNAP application, many individuals express not receiving a phone call and report having interviews cancelled without a reason. These issues lead to unjust termination, leaving more families without the means to feed themselves.
Food affordability is not the only concern.
Changes to SNAP eligibility also mean that many families no longer are eligible for the standard utility allowance. This winter, low-income Marylanders have had to determine how to cover rising heating costs while already struggling to afford food.
What must be done to address these barriers?
We must commit to protecting and strengthening SNAP. For Maryland, that means investing in streamlined benefits eligibility systems such as The One App, reducing unnecessary administrative barriers, and ensuring benefit adequacy. It also means listening to those with lived experience and adopting policies that reflect the realities of working families, older adults, immigrant/mixed status households, and people with disabilities.
SNAP is a reliable and dignified lifeline for families navigating economic hardship. But it only helps when families are able to access the program. Ensuring equitable access is not only sound policy—it is a moral and economic imperative.
Maryland Hunger Solutions, founded in 2007 by the Food Research & Action Center, works to end hunger and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of individuals, children and families in Maryland. Maryland Hunger Solutions to overcome barriers and create self-sustaining connections between Maryland residents and nutritious foods.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.