Federal food-assistance rolls fell by 5.6 million people in one year, with May enrollment matching the average monthly level federal forecasters projected for fiscal year 2030 as President Donald Trump’s SNAP reforms took hold.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fell from 42.2 million people in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, a drop of more than 13%, according to preliminary U.S. Department of Agriculture data. USDA may revise the figures, the Associated Press reported.
Texas had already tightened its own SNAP rules this spring by barring Lone Star Card purchases of candy and sweetened drinks beginning April 1, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Enrollment beats the federal forecast
The Congressional Budget Office’s February 2026 baseline projected average monthly SNAP participation of 36.6 million people in fiscal year 2030 and 33.9 million in 2036. The May count matched the 2030 benchmark about four years early, although one month’s count does not use the same measurement period as a fiscal-year average.
CBO also estimated that the 2025 reconciliation law would reduce projected federal SNAP spending by $211 billion through 2035. The agency attributed the reduction to fewer recipients, lower average benefits and a larger state share of program costs.
SNAP enrollment peaked at 43.3 million people in October 2024, the Associated Press reported.
“If there are people that are leaving the welfare rolls because they’re working and they’re moving forward, that would be a step forward,” Rachel Sheffield, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said.
Work rules reach more adults
President Trump signed the 2025 reconciliation law, commonly called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, on July 4, 2025. The law extended SNAP’s three-month time limit to nondisabled adults ages 55 to 64 and nondisabled adults whose youngest child is 14 or older, subject to other statutory exemptions.
People subject to the rule must complete at least 80 hours of work or qualifying activities each month or may receive only three months of benefits during a 36-month period, according to a Congressional Research Service analysis.
The law took effect upon enactment, but implementation varied by state. USDA ended existing work-requirement waivers on November 2, 2025, while many recipients encountered the expanded rules during subsequent applications or recertifications.
Not every departure from the program reflects higher income or a failure to meet the work threshold. “A lot of it is administrative paperwork,” Tia Fields, a policy analyst at Invest in Louisiana, said.
Arizona recorded the largest decline, with enrollment falling 55% from April 2025 to April 2026 and more than 400,000 fewer people receiving benefits. “Implementing the federally mandated changes triggered unprecedented call volumes and administrative hurdles, including additional verification requirements, creating real barriers for applicants,” state spokesman Brett Bezio said.
More state costs arrive in 2027
Beginning in October 2027, states with SNAP payment error rates of at least 6% must pay part of their benefit costs. CBO expects some states to preserve their current programs while others change eligibility or leave SNAP, according to its 2026 budget outlook.
The enrollment decline follows a federal eligibility and anti-fraud overhaul. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said data submitted by 29 states identified 186,000 deceased people listed as receiving benefits and 500,000 people enrolled in more than one state, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
USDA data show states approved 226,193 stolen-benefit claims tied to 691,604 fraudulent transactions during the first quarter of fiscal year 2025. The federal government replaced more than $102.4 million in benefits stolen from SNAP recipients.
Provided by Dallas Express
