New federal data show the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) lost more than 13 percent of its participants between May 2025 and May 2026, shrinking from 42.2 million to 36.6 million. The decline is far steeper than the government projected when President Donald Trump’s welfare‑reform legislation – often called the “big beautiful bill” – took effect.
State‑by‑state drops highlight the impact of tighter rules
Arizona experienced the sharpest fall, with enrollment slashing by more than 50 percent over the 12‑month period, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Georgia, Louisiana and Nevada each saw declines of roughly 20 percent, while Florida reported a 22 percent drop, which state officials linked to a focus on economic self‑sufficiency.
Work requirements and paperwork are the main culprits
The new law expands SNAP work requirements to include adults ages 55‑64 and teenagers 14‑17, while removing exemptions for many groups, including homeless individuals. Recipients must now work, volunteer or attend school to qualify, unless they are 65 or older, have young children, or have health limitations.
Advocates say the rapid loss of benefits is less about people earning too much and more about administrative hurdles. Tia Fields of Invest in Louisiana noted, “A lot of it is administrative paperwork.” In Arizona, the Department of Economic Security blamed unprecedented call volumes and verification demands for the drop, though recent staffing increases and online document submission have begun to stem the loss.
Policy supporters see a positive sign
Conservative analysts, such as Rachel Sheffield of the Heritage Foundation, argue that the decline reflects more people moving into work and away from reliance on welfare. “If there are people that are leaving the welfare rolls because they’re working and they’re moving forward, that would be a step forward,” she said.
Potential downstream effects on families
Critics warn that reduced SNAP participation could hurt children who rely on the program for free school lunches and eligibility for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Share Our Strength policy analyst Carolyn Vega emphasized that no other organization can match SNAP’s scale, and schools and food banks cannot fully fill the gap.
Future outlook
The Congressional Budget Office projects SNAP enrollment could fall below 34 million by 2036, but the current pace suggests the program may reach that level years earlier than expected. States will also begin sharing a portion of benefit costs if error rates exceed six percent, a cost‑sharing rule slated for October 2027.
As the nation adjusts to the new requirements, families like LaDiamond Lopez in Phoenix, who lost benefits in January due to missing documentation, face food insecurity while navigating the reinstatement process.
Original reporting: 2news.com — read the source article.
