The "big beautiful bill" treats single parents differently

• Advocates for the disadvantaged say these proposed changes to the program will result in millions of Americans losing vital assistance.

How it works: Basically, parents of children ages 7 to 17 must work 80 hours a month in order to qualify for SNAP benefits.

• But in households where parents are married, only one has to work.
• That means single parents with kids as young as 8 must work, while people who are married to a working adult don't have to.
• 80% of single-parent households are headed by mothers, per census data.
• Homeless people, veterans, pregnant women and those under 18 or over 64 are also exempt from the work requirements.

What they're saying: "Subjecting a single mom to having to go work while the mom who's married down the street doesn't have to, really shines the light on how inequitable and unfair this is," says Ed Bolen, a senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

• The provision seems to acknowledge that some parents are not able to work while taking care of school-age kids, says Carolyn Vega, associate director of policy at nonprofit Share Our Strength, but only extends that understanding to a certain type of parent.
• "If you're married, then you could have one person in the couple as a stay-at-home parent, and only one person has to work," she says. "But if you're in any other kind of household arrangement, then everyone needs to be meeting the work requirements."

Zoom out: If a parent loses food benefits, their children still would receive SNAP, but that doesn't mean kids escape unscathed from this provision.

• If an adult loses SNAP, food benefits still drop for their entire household.

Between the lines: The White House is trying to find ways to encourage more parents to stay home to raise children. The vast majority of parents who stay home are women.

• In a recent Mother's Day message, President Trump said he would work "to ensure that families can enjoy the highest standard of living on Earth on a single income."
• It's easier said than done for many, as in most families these days, both parents need to work to make ends meet amid rising child care costs.

For the record: "By restoring commonsense work requirements and implementing cost-sharing measures with states, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill is saving over $300 million to strengthen SNAP for all families who need it," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in an email.

• "President Trump is also delivering tax cuts for families, raising the child tax credit, and creating savings account for babies."

The bottom line: Single parents will have to work to receive food benefits under the "big beautiful bill" while some married parents won't.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with White House comment.