SNAP enrollment falls over 13% as new work requirements take effect
U.S. SNAP participation dropped from 42.2 million to 36.6 million in a year, driven by tightened eligibility rules and administrative challenges, with Arizona seeing the steepest decline.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fell by more than 13% over the past 12 months, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The number of participants dropped from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, a decline that officials attribute to newly imposed work and other eligibility requirements enacted under recent federal legislation.
The changes expand work-related criteria to include adults ages 55 to 64 and parents of teenagers, while maintaining exemptions for seniors, families with young children and individuals with health limitations. States are also required to improve verification processes, which has increased administrative burdens.
Arizona experienced the sharpest drop, with enrollment falling more than 50% between April 2025 and April 2026. State officials said the decline stemmed from “unprecedented call volumes and administrative hurdles, including additional verification requirements, creating real barriers for applicants.” The department reported that hiring additional staff and adding online document submission options have begun to slow the decline.
Advocacy groups warn that many people are losing benefits due to paperwork issues rather than failure to meet work requirements. “A lot of it is administrative paperwork,” said Tia Fields, a policy analyst at Invest in Louisiana.
Conservative analysts view the reduction as evidence that stricter rules are encouraging self-sufficiency. “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.
Other factors may also be influencing the drop. Feeding South Florida’s president noted that some legal immigrants may avoid applying for benefits out of fear of immigration enforcement. Food-bank officials expressed concern that reduced SNAP participation could increase demand for charitable assistance, which they say cannot fully replace the program’s scale.
The Congressional Budget Office projects SNAP enrollment to fall below 34 million by 2036, though the recent pace of decline exceeds earlier forecasts. Additional cost-sharing measures for states are slated to begin in 2027, potentially adding further pressure on program administration.