Closing the Meal Gap Act of 2025

Updated Benefit Calculations: The bill replaces the "thrifty food plan" with a "low-cost food plan" (Section 2(b)), which is adjusted annually on October 1 to reflect current food costs (Section 2(a)(3)(C)). This ensures benefit allotments stay current with market prices.

Geographic Adjustments: The Secretary will make cost adjustments for the State of Hawaii and urban and rural parts of Alaska (Section 2(a)(3)(B)), which helps account for higher food costs in those specific regions.

Standard Medical Deduction: The bill establishes a standard medical expense deduction of $140 for fiscal year 2025, which is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index for Medical Care (Section 3(a)(1)(D)). This allows for a predictable deduction for the elderly or disabled.

Shelter Expense Changes: The bill eliminates the cap on excess shelter expenses (Section 3(b)(1)), removing a previous limitation on how these costs are handled.

Removal of Time Limits: The act eliminates a specific time limit previously found in Section 6 of the Food ander Nutrition Act of 2008 (Section 4(a)).

Rounding of Benefit Amounts: When adjusting the cost of the diet for household sizes, the result is rounded to the nearest lower-dollar increment (Section 2(a)(3)(C)).

Medical Expense Limitations: While a standard medical deduction is established, the bill specifies that actual medical expense deductions for elderly or disabled members are exclusive of special diets (Section 3(a)(1)(2)).