The number of people receiving food assistance in the United States registered a sharp drop during the first year of the current government, after the implementation of new rules in the SNAP program.
Preliminary data from the United States Department of Agriculture show that between January 2025 and January 2026, the total number of beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) decreased by approximately 4.2 million people, from 42.8 million less than 38.6 million throughout the country.
Changes in the law triggered the fall
The reduction coincides with the approval in July 2025 of the law known as One Ample Pretty Invoice Act (OBBBA), which introduced significant modifications to the food assistance program, considered the largest in the United States.
Among the main changes are:
–Expansion of work requirements for adults up to 64 years of age
–Stricter rules for adults without dependents
–Elimination of certain exemptions for veterans, homeless people, and former foster youth
–Additional restrictions for some immigrants with upright status, especially refugees
During the first half of 2025, the decline was behind, with a reduction of just over 800,000 beneficiaries between January and July.
However, after the new rules came into force, the decline accelerated: between August 2025 and January 2026, around 3.4 million beneficiaries were lost.
The sharpest monthly decline occurred between October and November 2025, when the number of enrollees fell by 1,093,860 people, just after the November 1 deadline for states to implement the new provisions.
Why more people lost support
The new conditions have made both access and permanence in the program difficult.
One of the key changes was forcing previously exempt groups, such as adults aged 55 to 64, to work or participate in training programs.
Exemptions for parents with children over 14 years of age were also reduced, which brought more families into compliance with work requirements.
In many cases, the loss of the benefit is not due to higher income, but because the beneficiaries:
–They no longer meet the new criteria
–They do not complete procedures on time
–They face difficulties in recertification processes, which are carried out every 3 to 6 months
Projections and reviews
The impact of these changes had already been anticipated. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in August 2025 that about 4 million people would see their benefits reduced or eliminated.
Various organizations have questioned the new rules. The 👉 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warned: “The vast majority of people who would lose SNAP under an expanded work requirement would lose the help they need to pay for food without any improvement in their job prospects or income.”
For its part, the Center for Food Research and Action noted that these measures function as a barrier to access to food rather than a path to employment.
Even the Center for American Progress projected that the reduction in coverage could be linked to up to 70,000 preventable deaths.
Government position
Donald Trump’s administration has defended the changes, arguing that they seek to reduce dependence on the program and combat irregularities.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the law addresses fraud and waste that have overflowed into the program.
Additionally, he explained: “The law holds states accountable for their error rates, strengthens work requirements, and prevents illegal immigrants from receiving SNAP.”
Trump, for his part, maintained in November 2025 that the program is intended for people with real problems and who are in a difficult situation.
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