Yeah it's a dumb idea. Making people spend down their savings when they have no income to pay for food.
What else are savings for then?
Well if you only have $2.5k and no income it's probably going to housing costs.
(Am I here to answer stupid questions...)
The idea of an emergency fund is for unexpected expenses like car repairs or a medical bill. The primary use of SNAP is to supplement an employed person’s income so they are able to afford food.