Benefit changes expected to affect SNAP, Medicaid recipients

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed in July 2025 and now largely in effect, will bring changes for many Tuscarawas County families who receive SNAP or Medicaid benefits. The changes are expected to create added hardships for some residents and more work for program administrators.

Veronica Spidell, director of Tuscarawas County Job and Family Services, said older SNAP recipients, veterans and people experiencing homelessness are among those expected to feel the impact.

One significant change is an expansion of work requirements.

“The work requirement age limit will increase from 54 to 64,” Spidell said. “As a result, individuals age 64 or younger will be subject to a work requirement. Parents will only be exempt if they have a child in the household who is under 14; previously, parents were exempt if any minor child resided in the home.”

Spidell said additional exemptions will be eliminated, including exemptions for veterans and people experiencing homelessness, as well as certain former foster youth.

Federal funding tied to administration is also expected to shift more costs to states and counties, she said.

“Effective Oct. 1, state administrative costs will increase by 25%,” Spidell said. “Currently we have 50/50 administrative funding, but that will change to 25/75 this year. Statewide, that loss equals $19.3 million for the state and over $47 million for the counties.”

Looking ahead, beginning Oct. 1, 2027, Spidell said the state will assume a portion of SNAP benefit costs based on Ohio’s cumulative SNAP error rate — a measure that includes both overpayments and underpayments, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“If the error rate exceeds 6%, the state’s share of costs will be determined using a sliding scale ranging from 5% to 15% of total SNAP benefits,” she said.

Spidell said changes are also expected for Medicaid recipients, but her office has not received specific communications detailing those changes. She declined to comment further.

Asked about potential local impacts, Spidell pointed to a range of concerns.

“There are many potential impacts,” she said. “Will families be making choices on whether to pay for food or rent? Will there be higher eviction rates and homelessness? Will there be increased referrals of child abuse or neglect? Will there be increased mental health or substance use struggles because an adult struggles to manage their stress and anxiety about their finances?”

She said the full impact will become clearer in the coming months and years, noting the changes are permanent unless Congress acts again.

Spidell also emphasized SNAP’s intended role.

“SNAP is a vital support but is designed to supplement income, not replace it,” she said. “The most reliable path to long-term stability for families is through employment, which leads to greater independence.”

Spidell said 9,732 Tuscarawas County residents currently receive SNAP benefits, up from 9,200 in 2024. She said 1,211 recipients are ages 54-64 and may be affected by the work requirement changes.

Other community agencies may be asked to help carry the load, she said.

“There is concern that the new eligibility rules will cause a decrease in SNAP enrollment, which could increase demand at food pantries,” Spidell said. “There could also be a negative impact on local retail sales because SNAP generates economic activity in every county, which supports thousands of jobs across the state.”

Spidell cited the November 2025 government shutdown as an example, saying SNAP benefits that were initially withheld from Tuscarawas County recipients that month totaled $1,560,026.

“If we saw a decrease of 10% annually in local SNAP benefits, this would be over a $1.8 million local economic impact,” she said. “When sales are down, hours get cut at retail establishments like grocery stores.”

Spidell said the new rules are also increasing administrative demands for local agencies.

“More recipients are being required to provide more information more often,” she said.

With staffing levels down and no additional funding in sight, she said employees will be expected to absorb the workload while also training on the changes.

“We also must take additional time to train our team members on all these changes to continue to strive for excellence in our service delivery to the community members that we are charged to love, serve and care for through our programs,” Spidell said. “We want to be a county that has a positive impact on the error rate for the state of Ohio, but most importantly, we want to serve our community well.”