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More than 4 million Americans have lost federal food assistance since last summer as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program undergoes its largest overhaul in decades, with policy experts warning that even steeper reductions could follow once major funding changes take effect later this year.
Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows monthly SNAP enrollment fell from about 42 million recipients last July to roughly 37 million by April — an 11% decline that coincides with implementation of the Republican-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The White House has defended the changes, arguing the food assistance program had become “bloated” and was no longer serving its intended purpose of providing temporary aid to Americans experiencing financial hardship.
Public policy groups and anti-hunger advocates, however, say the rapid decline reflects tightened eligibility rules rather than improved economic conditions.
“We’re upset about how quickly this has happened,” said Starsky Wilson, president of the Children’s Defense Fund. “There are some supports that are still staged to go away later this year. So there could be an even greater sense of desperation among children and their families.”
Eligibility Rules Tightened
The legislation expands work requirements for SNAP recipients, requiring additional groups to document at least 80 hours of work or volunteer service each month.
The new requirements now apply to:
- Veterans.
- Homeless individuals.
- Young adults aging out of foster care.
- Parents with children ages 14 to 17.
- Adults between 55 and 64 years old.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the expanded work requirements alone will reduce average monthly SNAP participation by approximately 2.4 million people over the next decade.
The law also eliminated food assistance eligibility for several categories of noncitizens previously allowed to receive benefits, including certain refugees, asylum seekers and victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.
Children Among Those Losing Benefits
Researchers at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found participation declined by 11% nationally between July and April.
Arizona experienced the steepest decline, with more than 400,000 fewer residents receiving benefits than a year earlier. According to the Arizona Food Bank Network, food banks there are now serving more people each month than are enrolled in SNAP.
“We think of ourselves as the canary in the coal mine,” said Natalie Jayroe, chief executive officer of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. “We are showing the rest of the country a really scary scenario.”
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also reviewed data from 19 states and found more than 1 million children in those states alone have lost SNAP benefits since last July.
Officials Dispute Cause of Decline
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has suggested the shrinking rolls may reflect both stronger economic conditions and removal of ineligible recipients.
“A lot of it is people taking the program that shouldn’t have been, and then a lot of it is just a better economy,” Rollins said during an April interview on Fox Business.
Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, disputed that explanation, noting unemployment has remained relatively stable while grocery prices continue to rise.
“What that’s telling us is that this is not happening because fewer people need help affording groceries,” Bergh said. “It’s the result of these policy changes.”
Bergh also said many state agencies face staffing shortages and processing backlogs while attempting to comply with stricter federal oversight.
States Face New Financial Burden
The most significant changes have yet to take effect.
Beginning in October, states will assume a substantially larger share of SNAP administrative costs.
Under the new funding formula:
- The federal government will reduce its share of administrative costs from 50% to 25%.
- States will pay the remaining 75%.
- Beginning in October 2027, states with payment error rates of 6% or higher also will be required to contribute toward the cost of food benefits.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates nearly half of all states could owe at least $100 million because of the new error-rate penalties.
The USDA has said improper SNAP payments totaled approximately $10 billion last year. Policy analysts note those payment errors typically involve administrative mistakes or unintentional reporting errors rather than fraud.
Future of SNAP Raises Concern
A survey conducted by the Urban Institute and the American Public Human Services Association found nearly one-third of responding states are considering further restricting eligibility because of rising costs. Eleven percent said they may eventually suspend or withdraw from the program if the financial burden becomes unsustainable.
Georgetown University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality estimates many states could see SNAP costs increase two to three times under the new funding structure.
Anti-hunger advocates warn food banks lack the capacity to replace benefits if states reduce participation, while grocery industry officials say declining SNAP enrollment could reduce food sales nationwide by nearly $88 billion through 2034.
“There’s really an existential crisis in the future of SNAP,” said Lexie Kuznick, director of policy and government relations for the American Public Human Services Association.
She added that the program remains essential not only for low-income families but also for local economies.
“Groceries are a significant cost in the lives of low-income families, and it truly is a lifeline for them to be able to meet their family’s needs,” Kuznick said.
