SNAP enrollment falls 13% in a year, far outpacing federal forecasts

Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the largest federal food aid program in the United States, has fallen by more than 13% over the past year — a decline significantly steeper than government projections. Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows participation dropped from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, a preliminary figure that could be revised.

The sharp contraction follows the phased implementation of stricter work requirements and other provisions tied to the sweeping tax and social policy legislation signed by President Donald Trump. The new rules, which took effect for most of the country last year, now require many adults aged 55 to 64 and those with children aged 14 to 17 to work, volunteer, or attend school to qualify. Previously exempt groups, including homeless individuals, are no longer shielded from the mandate. People 65 and older, those with children under 14, and individuals with health limitations remain exempt.

Arizona has seen the steepest decline, with enrollment dropping 55% between April 2025 and April 2026 — more than 400,000 fewer beneficiaries. State officials attribute the collapse to administrative bottlenecks rather than a sudden surge in employment. "Implementing the federally mandated changes triggered unprecedented call volumes and administrative hurdles, including additional verification requirements, creating real barriers for applicants," said Brett Bezio, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Economic Security. The state has since hired more staff and introduced online document submission to slow the decline.

Advocates say the drop is driven less by people earning their way off the rolls and more by paperwork failures. "A lot of it is administrative paperwork," said Tia Fields, a policy analyst at Invest in Louisiana. In Phoenix, LaDiamond Lopez lost her benefits in January after officials requested more documentation about her income and household. She has since skipped meals and delayed bill payments to feed her children, and while her benefits were approved in late May, she says officials are again asking for more documents. "It's a panic," she said.

Conservative proponents of welfare reform view the reductions as a positive sign. "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," said Rachel Sheffield of the Heritage Foundation. Others note that some of the decline reflects a natural correction after pandemic-era peaks.

Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada have also recorded drops of more than 20%. In Florida, officials framed the decrease as evidence of economic self-sufficiency, while food bank leaders point to fear among legally present immigrants of engaging with government programs under the current administration's immigration enforcement posture.

The Congressional Budget Office had projected enrollment would fall below 34 million by 2036, but the current pace has already brought numbers close to that level by 2026. Experts warn of further strain when states become liable for a share of benefit costs if payment error rates exceed 6%, a provision scheduled to take effect in October 2027. Some advocates fear states may deny benefits outright to avoid penalties.

Food banks and anti-hunger groups say they cannot compensate for the scale of the loss. "We know that schools can't fill this gap. We know that food banks can't fill this gap," said Carolyn Vega of Share Our Strength. The ripple effects extend beyond groceries: children in SNAP households are often automatically enrolled in free school lunch programs, and losing benefits can disrupt that coverage as well.