‘The pandemic on steroids’: New SNAP rules mean millions at risk of losing benefits as states brace for billions in new costs

“The consequences extend beyond hunger,” Priya Fielding-Singh, Director of Policy and Programs at the Global Food Institute at George Washington University, told Moneywise. “When families lose those benefits, we should also expect greater economic hardship and, for some, a greater risk of falling into, or deeper into, poverty.”

The SNAP changes include expanded work requirements — which some states had already implemented — new parental exemption rules and a shift of the program’s cost burden to states.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reports that OBBB SNAP changes already resulted in more than 5 million Americans dropping out of the program between July 2025 and June 2026. And the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected the changes “would reduce SNAP participation by 2.4 million people in an average month” through 2034.

Cyndi Kirkhart, CEO of the West Virginia-based Facing Hunger Food Bank, told CBS News that new SNAP work requirements have already exacerbated hardships for people in her community, adding, “This is the pandemic on steroids, with little food and little money.”

SNAP cuts hit families and states

Those who receive SNAP benefits will see a modest monthly increase as of Oct. 1 — with individuals getting an $8 bump to $306 and a family of four receiving a $29 raise to $1,023.

But according to the most recent USDA data, SNAP enrollment fell to just over 36 million Americans in June — which the CBPP called “its lowest point in 17 years.”

The new SNAP work requirements mean able-bodied adults up to age 64 with no dependents must work, job train or volunteer for 80 hours a month to keep their benefits — a jump from the previous age limit of 54.

As well, parents with children under 18 previously qualified for the work exemption. That age was lowered to 14.

And as CBS News explained, some of those now facing a loss of benefits struggle with chronic health issues, or are trying to find work but come up short.

Lauren Schuyler, assistant research director of the Family Welfare Research and Training Group at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, told Moneywise that, “Increased poverty is a real concern with these changes” and added that losing SNAP means millions of children will also “lose their automatic eligibility for the National School Lunch Program … increasing the risk of food insecurity among school-aged children.”

The CBPP says data across 28 states found at least 1.5 million children lost SNAP benefits since the OBBB was passed.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, meanwhile, told Moneywise, “President Trump is strengthening SNAP for the Americans who need it by ensuring these programs are sustainable for future generations” — including by restoring “basic work requirements” and implementing “reasonable cost-sharing measures with states to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse.”

But those new cost-sharing measures mean that, as of Oct. 1, states shoulder 75% of SNAP funding — including covering the cost of benefit errors starting in 2027 — with an estimated price tag ranging from $1.5 billion to $15 billion.

Some states are already struggling, with Arizona’s SNAP participation dropping by 52% since last July, while many others posted declines “close to 20% or more,” per the CBPB.

Individual counties, too, would feel the hit. The National Association of Counties said using property taxes to cover the combined $16.4 million in SNAP and Medicaid costs for St. Louis County, Minnesota, for example, would require a 9.5% property tax hike.

“SNAP is a complex, large-scale program to run,” Fielding-Singh explained, noting that it requires caseworkers and specific technology systems. “States will have to find the additional dollars to support that work somewhere in their budgets, whether through additional revenue, reductions elsewhere or less investment in SNAP administration itself.”

She added that individual state response will vary, “but the fiscal pressure is very real.”

Help is available, but service gaps remain

In the meantime, Fielding-Singh recommends that recipients stay on top of any SNAP notices they receive, ensure the agency has their current contact information and always respond to documentation requests by the deadline.

She also said that if you receive a notification about a change in eligibility, “do not assume that you are no longer eligible; you may qualify for an exemption” and to inquire about a case review.