Families applying for food assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will, beginning Thursday, face changes to payments, eligibility requirements and how the benefits are administered.

Most families will initially see a slight bump in their monthly payments to support grocery purchases from a cost-of-living adjustment, but in the coming months, households will face stricter eligibility requirements, meaning fewer people will receive the benefits, ABC News reported. 

Under new work requirements imposed by the "The Big Beautiful Bill Act," able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 who don't have dependents will be required to work. Previously, the age limit was 54. Families with children age 14 or older are no longer exempt from the work requirements. 

The "The Big Beautiful Bill Act" also requires states to pay for a larger share of SNAP administrative costs, and states with SNAP recipient error rates above 6% will be required to fund a portion of the benefits themselves.