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With food insecurity on the rise in Massachusetts and expected to intensify under federal changes, a task force released dozens of ideas Friday to protect access to SNAP benefits, ensure emergency food aid reaches vulnerable residents, and bolster local food infrastructure.
The new report from Gov. Maura Healey’s Anti-Hunger Task Force offers a framework to blunt the impact of a federal law that could cause 150,000 Bay Staters to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits. Some 40% of Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity in 2025 — a record high, according to a recent study from the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham.
In New Bedford, about half of all households rely on SNAP benefits. The Light estimates that roughly 2,900 New Bedford households could be affected.
The task force recommends investing in SNAP infrastructure and administrative operations, in an attempt to cut back on errors that could cost Massachusetts hundreds of millions of dollars. The Department of Transitional Assistance has hired 76 new employees in fiscal 2026 to handle paperwork and recertify benefits, but the task force says more staffing is needed.
As new work requirements passed by Congress go into effect for food recipients ages 55 to 64, many have been unable to reach a state caseworker to discuss or update their situation because staff — and the phone system — cannot keep up with the volume, The Light reported in March.
“These investments aren’t overhead; they are the work that leads to better outcomes for our children, seniors, working families and neighbors with disabilities,” said Seana Weaver, CEO of the Worcester County Food Bank. “Every dollar we invest in DTA SNAP caseworkers and technology is a dollar that keeps food on the table for one in six Massachusetts residents who depend on this program.”
A report out last week from the Fiscal Alliance Foundation cast those administrative steps as inadequate. “Adding more caseworkers without fixing the underlying policies is like mopping the floor while the faucet’s still running,” visiting policy analyst Hayden Dublois said during a news conference on the report.
Massachusetts should leverage other federal nutrition programs, such as expanding access to congregate meals, home-delivered meals and medically tailored meals for older adults, the task force says. For college students, policymakers could explore offering universal campus meal plans within student aid packages.
To bolster the state’s emergency food system, the task force recommends launching or expanding food delivery, prepared meals and meal box programs for isolated or homebound older adults, as well as immigrants who are worried about accessing in-person sites. Guidance is also needed for food pantries to handle immigration enforcement, the report says.
In state policy levers, the task force suggests expanding a land licensing program to boost farmland access; establishing a state tax credit for farmers, fishers and seafood processors who donate food; increasing capacity at a MassWildlife program for hunters to donate venison; and creating a potential funding stream to help farmers establish orchards, vineyards and other crop systems.
The Light contributed reporting.