Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) continues to decline under the Trump administration following tightened work requirement rules brought in last year.
New figures released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on May 14 show SNAP enrollment declined from 42.8 million recipients in January 2025 to 37.8 million in February 2026, an 11 percent decrease in just 13 months. In the latest monthly figures alone, the number of recipients fell by around 668,000 between January and February 2026.
SNAP is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. It provides low-income households with monthly benefits through prepaid electronic cards that can be used at approved retailers. The average household benefit stands at $354.32 per month.
The steepest declines have followed implementation of changes introduced under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which tightened eligibility standards and expanded work requirements for some recipients.
Why Are SNAP Numbers Dropping?
The policy changes expanded work requirements for adults up to age 64, including stricter conditions tied to employment or job training participation for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs).
Groups that had previously been exempt were also brought under the rules. Veterans, homeless individuals and former foster youth became subject to work requirements, while some caregiver exemptions were also narrowed. Under the changes, certain parents with children aged 14 and older were also required to meet work or training conditions to maintain eligibility.
These changes do not necessarily mean someone is no longer eligible because their income exceeds the limit. More commonly, recipients lose benefits because they no longer meet updated eligibility requirements, miss paperwork deadlines, or have difficulty navigating the recertification process.
Recipients must generally recertify their eligibility every three to six months, depending on the state. During that process, individuals who fail to complete paperwork requirements, miss deadlines or do not satisfy updated work conditions can lose benefits.
The Trump administration has argued that the rules are necessary to reduce dependence on government assistance and curb what it describes as widespread fraud and abuse within the program.
Speaking after the bill’s passage in 2025, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said it “tackles the fraud and waste that has run rampant” in SNAP. She added that the legislation “holds states accountable for their error rates, strengthens work requirements, and prevents illegal aliens from receiving SNAP.”
Sharpest Declines
The latest USDA figures show the biggest month-to-month percentage drops were concentrated in a handful of states.
Arizona recorded one of the sharpest declines in the country, with SNAP participation falling from 509,695 recipients in January 2026 to 448,976 in February—a drop of 60,719 people, or 11.9 percent in a single month. Since January 2025, SNAP participation in the Grand Canyon State has dropped by a staggering 50 percent, down from 898,476 enrollments.
Georgia saw the largest raw decline nationwide. Enrollment there fell by 137,338 recipients, dropping from 1.43 million to 1.29 million, representing a 9.6 percent decrease.
Delaware also posted a notable decline, with participation falling 6.3 percent month-to-month.
Other sizable reductions included Louisiana, where enrollment dropped by 4.16 percent, Virginia at 2.83 percent and Texas at 2.66 percent, equivalent to more than 85,000 recipients losing benefits in one month.
Several of the country’s largest SNAP states also recorded substantial numeric declines, even if percentage changes were smaller. California saw nearly 30,000 fewer recipients, while Florida lost more than 24,000 recipients and Pennsylvania recorded a decline of over 37,000.
A small number of states, however, saw participation rise slightly. Alaska added 1,647 recipients between January and February, while Idaho recorded a modest increase of 574 people. West Virginia also posted a slight uptick with 78 people added to SNAP rolls.
For much of the first half of 2025, national SNAP participation dropped but remained above 42 million recipients. Between January and July 2025, enrollment declined by just over 800,000 people.
But the pace of decline accelerated later in the year after the new OBBBA rules began taking effect. Between August 2025 and January 2026, SNAP participation dropped by around 3.4 million recipients.
The sharpest single-month decline occurred between October and November 2025, when enrollment fell from 41,091,800 to 39,997,940. More than 1.09 million people left the program during that period, which coincided with the USDA’s November 1 deadline for states to comply with the updated requirements.
Opposition to the SNAP Removals
Elizabeth Palley, a professor of social work and director of the doctoral program at Adelphi University on Long Island, said research suggests declining SNAP participation could lead to increased hardship for low-income households.
“Existing research suggests that with a drop in SNAP benefits, there will be an increase in food insecurity. In other words, more people will go hungry,” Palley told Newsweek.
The decline in participation could also have broader economic consequences for low-income communities, she argued, because SNAP dollars are typically spent quickly at local stores and supermarkets.
“People who receive SNAP benefits spend the money, which goes to local businesses,” Palley said. “Without the benefits, people are spending less, which has economic benefits for low-income communities and could cause some stores to close, potentially increasing the number of food deserts.”
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