Additional Coverage:
- 3.5 million people have lost SNAP benefits due to Trump’s Big Beautiful bill – report (themirror.com)
The Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has brought significant changes to American households this year, notably altering the federal tax code and restructuring the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). As inflation and gas prices remain high, many Americans are finding it difficult to keep up with rising everyday expenses.
Effective June 1, new SNAP eligibility and work requirements will take effect in several states, including California and New York. These rules tighten access to food assistance, impacting millions of low-income individuals. Since the legislation’s passage last summer, over 3.5 million people-about 9% of SNAP recipients-have lost their benefits, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
Using recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Human Services, the CBPP found a nationwide decline in SNAP participation between July 2025 and February 2026.
Participation dropped by at least 5% in 38 states, with 13 states seeing decreases of 10% or more. Notably, Arizona lost 51% of its beneficiaries, Louisiana 20%, Virginia nearly 15%, and Tennessee 16%.
Though SNAP enrollment was already decreasing before the full implementation of OBBBA’s provisions, the CBPP warns that these reductions are expected to deepen as states enforce stricter eligibility rules and work to minimize program errors.
A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York further highlights the growing food insecurity among vulnerable populations, particularly lower-income households and families with young children. Researchers attribute this trend to a combination of increased living costs and cuts to SNAP benefits, exacerbating hardship for those at the lower end of the economic spectrum.
In fiscal year 2024, the USDA reported that SNAP served an average of 41.7 million people per month. Yet, in the same year, 13.7% of U.S. households-about 18.3 million-experienced food insecurity.
The new SNAP regulations require broader groups to meet work requirements, including:
- Individuals aged 55 to 64 (previously limited to those up to age 54)
- Parents of children aged 14 and older (previously under 18)
- Homeless individuals, veterans, and former foster youth
Recipients must work at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month to maintain benefits beyond three months within a 36-month period.
Additionally, the law shifts some financial responsibility for SNAP from the federal government to the states. To reduce costs, states are incentivized to lower error rates, which may lead to more eligible households losing benefits due to administrative complexities.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that OBBBA will cut $187 billion from SNAP funding through 2034, marking the largest reduction in the program’s history. The CBPP projects that, once fully implemented, about 4 million people will lose SNAP benefits in an average month, intensifying challenges for millions of Americans already struggling to put food on the table.