SNAP enrollment collapses 13% after One Big Beautiful Act, intensifying fears of worsening hunger
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USDA data show SNAP participation dropped from 41.6 million to 36.5 million between July 2025 and June 2026 after new work-requirement rules took effect, drawing alarm from anti-hunger advocates and state officials who warn of deepening food insecurity.
The number of Americans receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fell by about 13 percent, from 41.6 million in July 2025 to 36.5 million in June 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The decline follows the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Act, which many critics say punishes low-income households by expanding work-requirement criteria and shifting a larger share of administrative costs to the states.
Under the new rules, individuals aged 18 to 64 without a dependent under 14 must perform at least 20 hours of paid or volunteer work each week to remain eligible, compared with the previous requirement that applied only to able-bodied adults aged 18 to 54 without dependents under 18. States are now required to cover 75 percent of SNAP administrative expenses, up from 50 percent, a change that opponents say will squeeze already strained public budgets.
The impact has varied by state. Arizona saw enrollment drop by roughly half, while Kentucky experienced a 6 percent decline. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear expressed concern that the changes could increase hunger among children and the elderly, writing to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
"Democrats don’t love" the decrease, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at a farming festival in Minnesota, adding that the reduction was a "big win" for those who favor work over food-stamp reliance.
Anti-hunger advocates dispute the administration’s rationale. Feed Louisville executive Rhona Kamar noted that food-bank shelves are increasingly empty, and Food Research and Action Center director Gina Plata-Nino argued that adequate wages, not stricter eligibility, would reduce SNAP participation. The Food Bank Council of Michigan reported a three-fold increase in helpline calls after the rule change and temporarily suspended the service due to volume, underscoring the human cost of the policy shift.
School nutrition programs have also been affected. In Houston, 26 schools lost eligibility for the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides free meals when at least 25 percent of students receive SNAP benefits.
A USDA spokesperson said the fluctuating number of beneficiaries reflects normal changes and does not point to any single policy, while a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyst warned that upcoming cost-sharing requirements could further strain state resources and delay benefit processing.
Individuals such as Sandra Scott, a 58-year-old Louisville resident who has relied on SNAP for years, criticized the policy changes, urging officials to consider the lived experience of those facing food insecurity.