Federal Data Show 5.6 Million Fewer People Received Food Aid in May, While Advocates Warn Paperwork Hurdles Are Costing Eligible Families Benefits
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fell more than 13% in one year, declining much faster than federal forecasters expected as expanded work requirements and other provisions of President Donald Trump’s 2025 domestic policy law take effect.
Preliminary federal data show 36.6 million people received SNAP benefits in May, down from 42.2 million in May 2025 — a decline of approximately 5.6 million recipients. The figures could still be revised.
SNAP helps more than 1 in 10 Americans purchase groceries, with most recipients living below the poverty line. Households receive an average of $344 per month through electronic benefit cards.
The drop comes as families continue changing how they shop and eat in response to higher grocery costs.
New Work Rules Reach More Households
Adults 54 and younger without minor children have long faced work requirements in many parts of the country. The new law expands those rules to adults ages 55 to 64 and people whose youngest children are between 14 and 17.
Most affected recipients must work, volunteer or attend school to continue receiving assistance. People 65 and older, those caring for children younger than 14 and people with qualifying health limitations remain exempt. Homeless people are among the groups that lost previous exemptions.
The expanded rules have taken effect across most of the country, although implementation will not begin in some areas until next year. Texans can review state requirements through Texas Health and Human Services.
The Congressional Budget Office projected in February that policy changes would eventually push SNAP enrollment below 34 million by 2036. But by May, enrollment had already fallen to roughly the level the agency had projected for 2030.
Paperwork Problems Complicate the Decline
It remains unclear how many people left SNAP because they found work or began earning too much to qualify and how many eligible recipients lost assistance because of missed deadlines, missing documents or overwhelmed state systems.
Tia Fields, a social safety net policy analyst with Invest in Louisiana, told The Associated Press that much of the decline she has seen involves administrative paperwork rather than people failing to meet work rules.
Conservative policy advocates who supported the changes say declining enrollment could indicate that more people are working and becoming financially self-sufficient. However, the preliminary figures do not establish what portion of the decline is tied to higher earnings.
Arizona recorded the country’s most dramatic change, losing more than 400,000 recipients as enrollment fell 55% between April 2025 and April 2026.
State officials said new verification requirements produced unprecedented call volumes and administrative delays. Arizona has since hired more workers and introduced online document-submission options, which officials say have slowed the decline.
Phoenix mother LaDiamond Lopez told the AP that she lost her benefits after officials requested additional proof about her income and household. Although her benefits were eventually approved again, she continued receiving requests for more documents.
“It’s a panic,” Lopez said.
Enrollment also declined more than 20% in Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada and Florida. Other possible factors include a natural decline from pandemic-era enrollment highs and fears among some legally present immigrants that applying for benefits could expose them to immigration enforcement.
Families Could Lose More Than Grocery Assistance
Losing SNAP can affect more than a household’s grocery budget. Participation can also help children qualify for free school meals and connect eligible families to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
Food banks in several states have reported rising demand as SNAP enrollment falls, but advocates warn that charities cannot provide assistance on the same scale as the federal program.
The San Antonio Food Bank provides distributions and benefits assistance to families across Southwest Texas, but local organizations could face greater pressure if more households lose federal aid.
States Face Another Cost Shift
Beginning in federal fiscal year 2028, which starts Oct. 1, 2027, states with SNAP payment-error rates of 6% or higher will be required to cover part of the cost of benefits. Congress has considered delaying the change.
Payment errors include both overpayments and underpayments. Advocates fear some states could respond by denying more applications to avoid making mistakes and taking on additional costs.
CBO said some states may preserve their current programs, while others could tighten eligibility, reduce participation or leave SNAP altogether.
