Fewer Americans are getting help buying groceries from SNAP benefits as states grapple with the program’s cascade of changes

SNAP enrollment fell nearly 13% from 2025 to June 2026, dropping to 36.4 million people, including an estimated 1.5 million children. President Trump attributes the decline to a strong economy, but the reporting ties much of it to the 2025 tax-and-spending law, which cut eligibility for some legal immigrants and expanded work requirements to adults up to age 64 and parents of teens 14-17. States like Arizona have seen enrollment fall by nearly half amid reported caseworker overload and monthslong delays.

Starting October 2026, states must cover 75% of administrative costs, up from 50%, an estimated $17 billion more nationally over five years. Beginning October 2027, states will also owe up to 15% of benefit costs based on payment error rates that are rarely due to fraud. A stalled farm bill now hinges partly on Democrats' push for a two-year delay on these cost shifts.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.