Heflin Discusses SNAP Work Requirements, Food Insecurity Data in Mother Jones Article

January 23, 2026

Mother Jones

Colleen Heflin

Public Administration & International Affairs Department

Center for Policy Research

Federal

Food Security

Labor

Nutrition

State & Local

United States

Mother Jones

Colleen Heflin

Under President Trump's legislation, SNAP introduced new work requirements on December 1 for adults ages 55-64, potentially locking millions out of the program if unable to work, while the USDA simultaneously terminated its annual food insecurity survey.

Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, says that around half of early retirements between the ages of 55 and 65 are the result of health issues or difficulties maintaining employment, often compounded by challenging state processes to seek exemption from it.

“It’s really important for states to be thinking about the administrative burden,” Heflin says. “All these things become a little bit harder as people become older, and they may have declines in hearing, sight or cognitive function.”

Read more in the Mother Jones article, “Trump’s USDA Is Hiding the Data on Food Stamp Cuts.”