SNAP Rolls Fall 5.6 Million in One Year

Enrollment in SNAP, the country's biggest food aid program, fell from 42.2 million people in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026 — a drop of more than 13% in a year, according to newly released USDA data.

That is 5.6 million fewer people on food stamps, and a decline far steeper than the federal government projected.

The drop follows work requirements and eligibility changes in President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," signed in July 2025. The May figures are preliminary and could be revised.

Who fell off, and why, is contested. Sources credit tighter work rules, administrative paperwork, immigration fears and rising incomes — in different mixes.

The Numbers

SNAP helps more than 1 in 10 people in the U.S. buy groceries, and most recipients have incomes below the poverty line, the Associated Press reported. The average benefit is $344 per household per month.

The rolls peaked recently at 43.3 million in October 2024. Since 2010, the monthly average has been below 40 million in only two years — 2019 and 2020.

State declines, per USDA data released August 14 covering May 2025 to May 2026 and reported by Newsweek:

Arizona: down about 53%, from 887,000 to roughly 410,000 — the steepest drop in the country. The AP, using April-to-April figures, put Arizona's decline at 55%, more than 400,000 people.

Georgia: down 36.5%, from about 1.87 million to 1.18 million.

Nevada: down 23.1%, from nearly 497,000 to about 382,000.

Florida: down 22.2%, from about 2.94 million to 2.29 million.

Louisiana: down 21.5%, from roughly 804,000 to 631,000.

What's Driving It

The AP reported that those losing coverage include people who don't meet the tightening requirements and — advocates say — people who still qualify but are rejected for missing deadlines or lacking documentation. It is too early to tell how many fall into each group.

Arizona's own agency blames its rollout. "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. He said hiring more staff and allowing online document uploads has slowed the drop in recent months.

Tia Fields, who analyzes safety net policy at Invest in Louisiana, told the AP the main reason she sees people losing coverage is not failing work requirements: "A lot of it is administrative paperwork."

Florida's Department of Children and Families said in a statement that the falling number "is reflective of the state's strong focus on advancing opportunities for Floridians and their families to achieve economic self-sufficiency." Paco Velez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida, told the AP part of Florida's 22% drop comes from immigrants who are in the U.S. legally but fear being targeted by the administration's immigration crackdown if they seek benefits.

Rachel Sheffield, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, which pushed for stricter SNAP rules, told the AP that if people "are leaving the welfare rolls because they're working and they're moving forward, that would be a step forward." She also said some of the decline is likely a natural falloff after pandemic-era peaks.

RedState's Ward Clark put the conservative read bluntly: the work requirements are mild, and people who drop out rather than work "didn't really need it in the first place."

What Changed in the Law

Adults 54 and younger without minor children have long faced work requirements. The new law extends them to most people who had been exempt, including those ages 55 to 64 and parents of children ages 14 to 17, the AP reported.

People 65 and older, those with children under 14, and those with health limitations remain exempt. Some groups that were exempt — including homeless people — no longer are. The expanded requirement has kicked in across most of the country but won't start in some places until next year.