Overview
- Federal data show the number of SNAP recipients fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, a decline of more than 13 percent that outpaced government forecasts.
- The drop accelerated after the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1) expanded work mandates and tightened verification, making more adults subject to work, volunteer or schooling requirements to keep benefits.
- Overstretched state agencies have added documentation checks and faced huge call volumes, with Arizona reporting roughly a 55 percent decline linked largely to implementation problems rather than confirmed noncompliance.
- Some states recorded declines over 20 percent, advocates say food banks cannot replace SNAP at scale, and families report skipped meals and lost access to linked programs like free school lunch.
- A new federal rule scheduled for October 2027 that would force states with high payment-error rates to share benefit costs is increasing pressure on state policy choices and could further tighten access if lawmakers do not delay the change.