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SNAP enrollment drops over 13% nationwide following federal rule changes

Stricter work requirements and administrative hurdles drive food aid enrollment down faster than federal forecasts anticipated.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 00:33 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Preliminary federal figures show SNAP enrollment fell by more than 13% over 12 months, dropping from 42.2 million to 36.6 million beneficiaries by May.
  • The decline follows federal legislation signed by President Donald Trump expanding work mandates to adults ages 55 to 64 and parents of children ages 14 to 17, while eliminating exemptions for homeless individuals.
  • Multiple states experienced severe drops, led by Arizona with a decline exceeding 50%, alongside drops above 20% in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada.
  • It remains uncertain how much of the reduction stems from recipients gaining self-sufficiency versus eligible individuals losing benefits due to paperwork burdens and agency backlogs.

Key facts

  • SNAP enrollment fell from 42.2 million participants in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, outpacing the Congressional Budget Office's multi-year projections.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]
  • New federal rules require SNAP participants ages 55 to 64 and those with children ages 14 to 17 to work, volunteer, or attend school, while also ending exemptions for homeless people.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]
  • Arizona recorded the country's steepest drop with an enrollment decrease exceeding 50%, which state officials attributed largely to verification hurdles and extreme call volumes.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]
  • Enrollment fell by more than 20% in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]
  • A scheduled federal rule will require states to share benefit costs starting in October 2027 if their payment error rates exceed 6%, though Congress has considered delaying it.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The precise proportion of former enrollees who left SNAP because of employment gains versus those dropped due to procedural issues, missed deadlines, or paperwork errors remains unmeasured.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]
  • The May enrollment numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture are preliminary and subject to future revision.[PBS NewsHour · ABC News]

Sources