Total monthly 3SquaresVT recipients, Jan-Sep 2025

In any given month, over 60,000 Vermonters rely on benefits from the federal Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP—also known as 3SquaresVT. This includes more than 18,000 children. All participants suffered delays in benefits in November 2025 because of the federal government shutdown. But the budget reconciliation act passed by Congress in July imposes significant cuts to SNAP over the long term. Federal policymakers are shifting costs to the states, eliminating numerous groups of people from eligibility, and imposing stricter work requirements for participation. Estimates vary, but anywhere from 16,000 to 40,000 Vermonters—as many as two-thirds of current recipients—risk losing some or all of their 3SquaresVT food assistance.