SNAP Enrollment Drops 3.5 Million After Work Rules Expand

Millions of Americans have lost access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits since expanded work requirements took effect in July 2025, federal data shows.

Enrollment in the program, commonly known as food stamps and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, fell from an average of 42.1 million participants in the previous fiscal year to 38.5 million as of January 2026, a decline of about 3.5 million people. The drop accelerated after President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law on July 4, 2025. The legislation broadened work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents under 14, mandating at least 80 hours per month of paid work, volunteering or participation in government-run programs. Previously, the rules applied to those up to age 54 with dependents under 18.

The changes, described by USDA officials as the most expansive to the program in decades, also narrowed exemptions, restricted eligibility for certain legal immigrants and required states to verify eligibility more frequently. Undocumented immigrants have never qualified for SNAP. Nearly all states reported declines, according to data tracked by the...