The changes have affected eligibility rules, work requirements, and administration, while state and national food assistance groups are calling on Congress to delay upcoming cost changes. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), around 5 million people, including more than 1.5 million children, have lost access to SNAP since the law took effect.
New Requirements Reshape Access to Food Assistance
The decline in SNAP participation has been linked to new work requirements and additional administrative barriers for applicants. Under the new rules, the age limit for able-bodied adults without dependents who must meet work requirements increased from 54 to 64. Exemptions for parents and other family members responsible for dependents were also changed, lowering the qualifying age from 18 to 14.
Dottie Rosenbaum, director of federal SNAP policy at the CBPP, told ABC News that the fall in participation has happened more quickly and at a deeper level than forecasts made when the law was passed. She said reports were increasing of people facing difficult choices between paying for housing, groceries, and other basic needs.
The White House has not commented on the effects of the new work requirements, although administration officials have previously supported the approach. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in January that government assistance should provide temporary support rather than become a long-term solution.
The law also changes how SNAP is financed. From October, states will be responsible for 75% of administrative costs, while a future change could require states to cover part of benefit costs linked to payment error rates.
Food Banks Respond as States Prepare for Higher Costs
Communities have already seen pressure on local food assistance networks. In Arizona, more than 400,000 SNAP recipients lost access after the state introduced measures including expanded documentation requirements, preauthorization reviews, and continuous income monitoring, according to the CBPP.
Terri Shoemaker of the Arizona Food Bank Network said food banks saw an increase in visitors after those changes. She warned that charities cannot replace the scale of support normally provided by SNAP, noting that the program supplies far more meals than food banks can provide alone.
Similar pressures have appeared in New Mexico. Jill Dixon, executive director of The Food Depot, said the organization has seen longer queues for food distribution, with one line extending more than a mile and a half before opening time on certain days.
In Republican-led states, the impact has also been significant. Louisiana recorded one of the largest per-capita declines, with 21% of SNAP recipients losing access, according to the CBPP. In Arkansas, Food Bank of North Central Arkansas chief executive Jeff Quick said the state could face serious financial challenges if it has to absorb more program costs.
Food assistance organizations are asking Congress to delay the cost shift and allow states more time to prepare. According to ABC News, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman introduced a farm bill version that would postpone the change, though it has not moved through the other chamber. Lawmakers are expected to return to Washington on September 14, as states and food organizations continue to seek clarity over SNAP’s future.
