It happens every January, like clockwork.
You get a notice that your Social Security is going up by $40 or $50 to help with inflation. But just weeks later, you get another letter in the mail from the SNAP office. And what does it say? Your food stamps are being cut by $30, $40, or $50. Some of you lose them completely.
It feels like the government is helping you with one hand and taking it back with the other. But right now, there is a big push in Washington to stop this benefits cliff once and for all. It’s called the COLAs Don’t Count Act of 2026.
Today, I’m going to show you what this bill does, why this time is different, and what you can do to help make it law.
This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.
The SNAP Benefits Cliff Is Real
If you feel like you’ve been punished for getting a cost-of-living raise, you’re not imagining it.
In 2023 alone, about 28,000 households lost SNAP completely because of a COLA increase. More than one-third of all SNAP households—millions of people—saw their benefits cut. On average, the cut was more than $32 a month.
That isn’t fair. When prices go up, that’s what the COLA is supposed to help with. It’s meant to cover higher costs. But under current law, that raise makes you look richer on paper to the USDA, even though your buying power hasn’t really changed.
That means many of you are walking a financial tightrope, and right now it’s harder than ever to keep your balance.
What the COLAs Don’t Count Act Would Do
Senator Peter Welch and Representative Gwen Moore have reintroduced a bill with a very simple name: the COLAs Don’t Count Act.
Here’s what Section 2 of the bill does. It says that COLA increases from Social Security, SSI, veterans benefits, and Railroad Retirement cannot be counted as income for SNAP.
In plain English, if this bill passes, the SNAP office would have to ignore your COLA increase. If your Social Security goes up by $50, your food stamps should stay the same.
No more punishment. No more benefits cliff. No more having to choose between medicine and groceries.
Why 2026 Matters So Much
We are in a very important moment right now. The Social Security COLA for 2026 is 2.8%. That means the average check went up by about $56 a month.
That sounds good, but it’s also just enough to push many people over the SNAP limit. And I know you know this, because we talk about it every year.
Just in the last week, Jenny Duke told us:
“It doesn’t matter how much we get in the COLA because they take that much or more out of our food stamps. So we end up with less or nothing at all.”
Lou James said:
“We got some of the highest COLA raises in recent years, but they were still small. Even so, it pushed me over the limit, and I lost more benefits than the raise gave me. I actually lost money.”
Glenda Baldwin shared this:
“My COLA went up $16 a month, and my housing rent went up $15. So I only got a dollar.”
These are just a few comments from the past seven days. This problem is real. It hurts real people. And it happens every January.
Why This Bill Has a Real Chance Now
This bill has been introduced before, but this time is different. Food insecurity among seniors is at an all-time high. Members of Congress are finally hearing from people like you.
But here’s the problem: the bill is just sitting there. It won’t move unless we push it. We can’t wait and hope.
Three Things You Can Do Today
If we want to stop these cuts, we have to act. Here are three simple steps.
First, call the Congressional Switchboard.
The number is 202-224-3121.
This connects you to the U.S. Capitol. Ask for your senator’s office. When a staff member answers, say:
“I’m a voter, and I want the senator to co-sponsor the COLAs Don’t Count Act.”
Second, contact the committee.
This bill is in the Senate Agriculture Committee. If your senator is on that committee, your call matters even more. I’ll put a list of those senators in the description below.
Third, spread the word.
There are 250,000 people on this channel. If just 10% of us make this call, that’s 25,000 phone calls in one week. That gets attention.
Final Thoughts
This is not a handout. This is about keeping what you were already promised. Don’t let your COLA be an afterthought. Let’s get this passed so you don’t have to worry about these cuts every year.
Please make that call.