Trump’s Proposed SSI Cuts Could Push Vulnerable D.C. Residents Into Homelessness

August 18, 2025

The Trump administration's proposed plan would cut Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits by removing SNAP from the list of protections that shield recipients from having their benefits reduced by one-third when living with relatives. This change would affect approximately 1,400 D.C. residents and nearly 400,000 people nationwide, with particularly severe impacts on Black communities, disabled individuals, and poor seniors. The typical multi-person SNAP household with an SSI recipient survives on just $17,000 annually, and these cuts could reduce benefits by hundreds of dollars monthly, forcing impossible choices between necessities like food, housing, and medicine.

Who is affected

Roughly 1,400 D.C. residents and nearly 400,000 people nationwide
Poor seniors, disabled adults, and children receiving SSI benefits
Black communities in D.C., where the racial wealth gap is among the widest in the nation
SNAP households with SSI recipients living on approximately $17,000 a year
Adults with disabilities who live with family members who themselves have low incomes
The Social Security Administration, which is already underfunded

What action is being taken

The Trump administration is moving to remove SNAP from the list of protections that shield SSI recipients from benefit reductions
The AFL-CIO is running a national campaign against the cuts, including a nationwide bus tour
Democrats are preparing legislation to block Trump's plan
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is developing a "Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act"
Sen. Ron Wyden is working on a Senate bill that would add $5 billion in funding

Why it matters

Recipients could lose hundreds of dollars monthly, forcing choices between food, housing, and medicine
The cuts could push more D.C. residents into homelessness or institutional care
The policy change would disproportionately impact Black communities
The already underfunded Social Security Administration would face increased paperwork burdens
The changes would revert to outdated 1980 rules that ignore current economic realities
The savings from these cuts would barely cover a single day of tax breaks for the wealthy

What's next

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) plans to introduce the "Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act" in September
Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Oregon) Senate bill would add $5 billion in funding and launch an investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer