The numbers
- 4.5M+
- people dropped from SNAP since the law passed — an 11 percent fall
- 1.5M
- children estimated to have lost food assistance nationally
- 49 of 50
- states saw enrollment drop — every state but Alaska
- 23
- states where enrollment fell by 10 percent or more
In the 22 states that report data on children, the number of kids receiving SNAP fell by 1.1 million. Children make up nearly half of everyone who lost benefits in those states. Nationally, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates more than 1.5 million children have lost food assistance.
The last time enrollment fell this fast was nearly thirty years ago, after Congress made deep cuts to food stamps in 1996.
Nothing about families changed. The law did.
Fewer people getting food assistance would make sense if fewer people needed it. That is not what happened.
Unemployment has held steady at roughly 4 percent since July 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. CBPP's conclusion is direct: it is very unlikely that reduced need explains the drop.
What changed is the law. It expanded work requirements to parents of teenagers and to adults up to age 65. It removed exemptions for veterans, people who are homeless, and young people aging out of foster care. It ended eligibility for many immigrants who are here legally.
This was the trade
The Congressional Budget Office scored the law as cutting SNAP by nearly $187 billion through 2034. That is the largest cut in the program's history.
That money helped pay for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts tilted toward the wealthiest households.
Bottom of the income scale
−3%
Households at the bottom lose about 3 percent of their income
Top 10 percent of households
+$13,600
Average gain per year for households in the top 10 percent
Food for kids on one side of the ledger. A tax cut most families will never see on the other.
It is not finished
All of this happened before the law's biggest provisions took full effect. CBPP expects the losses to grow as states finish implementing the new rules.
Starting in 2027, most states will have to cover between 5 and 15 percent of SNAP benefit costs for the first time. How much each state pays depends on its error rate, which gives states a reason to deny or delay applications now. Wrongly turning away a family who qualifies does not count as an error.