Oct. 1: States start paying 75% of what it costs to run SNAP, and federal Medicaid narrows for many legal immigrants. Open that mail.

Two safety-net changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect Oct. 1, Newsweek reports. First, Washington's share of the cost of running SNAP, the food program that serves more than 40 million people a month, falls from 50 percent to 25 percent, leaving states to pay for caseworkers, fraud prevention, call centers and computer systems. The law doesn't directly cut benefits, but state officials warn tighter budgets could mean fewer staff and slower enrollment. Second, federal funding for full-scope Medicaid will generally be limited to citizens and nationals, green card holders, Cuban-Haitian entrants and citizens of Compact of Free Association nations. Refugees and trafficking survivors may lose federally funded coverage unless their state steps in, though emergency Medicaid remains. Work requirements of at least 80 hours a month for certain adults 19 to 64 are scheduled for January 2027. Alex Beene of the University of Tennessee at Martin summed up the divide: "Supporters see these policies as a way to promote work and shift more responsibility to states, while critics worry the savings will come partly from people losing benefits because of administrative barriers rather than because of their improving financial circumstances." Why it matters at home: a missed letter can cost a family as much as a new rule. If someone in your house relies on SNAP or Medicaid, open every notice from the state, answer it promptly and keep copies.