Liz Wills-O’Gilvie, a 63-year-old anti-hunger advocate from Springfield, Massachusetts, stated on Sunday she has not eaten for 15 days to protest reductions in food stamp enrollment. She is calling on Governor Maura Healey to increase state funding for the program, citing rising food insecurity and administrative challenges at the state agency that manages benefits.
The protest follows the implementation of a 2025 federal tax and spending law signed by President Donald Trump, which made significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 5.3 million people across the country have lost SNAP benefits since those changes took effect. States have moved to implement the new rules, with some tightening application processes to avoid federal penalties for incorrect benefit calculations.
In Massachusetts, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) reported that SNAP enrollment has decreased by nearly 182,000 people, a figure that includes approximately 65,000 children. Wills-O’Gilvie, who serves on a state Anti-Hunger Task Force, alleged that residents are losing benefits because they cannot reach caseworkers at the DTA. Agency data indicates a 9% rise in daily calls since last year, with 47% of callers unable to connect, compared to 37% previously. The DTA stated it has hired 118 new caseworkers this year to address the demand.
A person navigating the system would notice a concrete change in their ability to secure assistance. In Massachusetts, nearly half of all callers seeking to manage their benefits are unable to reach a caseworker, an 11-percentage-point increase in failure rates compared to the previous year. This administrative backlog means that even those who might still qualify under the new federal rules may lose access simply due to communication barriers. The situation forces low-income residents, seniors, and veterans to spend more time attempting to contact state agencies while facing immediate food shortages.
The outcome of this protest and the state's response could set a precedent for how other states handle federal SNAP penalties and administrative strain. While the DTA has hired 118 new workers, the impact on call wait times remains to be seen. Wills-O’Gilvie, who suffers from lupus and hypoglycemia, said she intends to continue her fast indefinitely. Governor Healey told the advocate last week that she was working on the issue, but no specific legislative or funding deadlines for a state-level increase have been announced.