SNAP grocery aid enrollment is falling faster than expected
- U.S. SNAP enrollment fell more than 13% over the past 12 months, from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May, according to preliminary federal data.
- The decline has been sharper since new work requirements and other provisions in President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending law began taking effect.
- Arizona saw the largest drop, with enrollment down 55% over 12 months; Georgia, Louisiana and Nevada also recorded declines of more than 20%.
- Advocates say many people are losing benefits because of paperwork, deadlines, or documentation problems, while it is still unclear how many are losing coverage because they no longer meet the tighter rules.
- The Congressional Budget Office had projected a slower decline, but the data now show enrollment has already reached levels it expected around 2030.
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the largest federally funded food aid program in the United States, has fallen faster than government forecasters expected. Federal data show participation dropped more than 13% in a year, reaching 36.6 million in May, down from 42.2 million a year earlier.
The decline has accelerated as stricter work requirements and other changes from President Donald Trump’s legislation take effect. Under the law, more adults who were previously exempt must now work, volunteer or attend school to keep benefits, and some groups that had been exempt, including homeless people, are no longer covered.
Officials and advocates disagree on why people are leaving the rolls. Supporters of the changes say the drop could reflect people earning too much to qualify, while advocates say many are losing benefits because of administrative hurdles such as paperwork, missed deadlines or missing documentation. The Congressional Budget Office had projected a slower decline, but the current numbers are already near levels it expected around 2030.
SNAP食品援助登记人数下降速度快于预期
美国最大的联邦食品援助项目SNAP的登记人数，最近一年下降速度快于政府先前的预测。联邦数据表明，参与人数在一年内减少了13%以上，从去年5月的4220万人降至今年5月的3660万人。
随着特朗普相关立法中的更严格工作要求及其他调整开始实施，人数下降进一步加快。按照新法律，更多此前豁免的人现在必须工作、做志愿者或上学才能继续领取福利，一些过去被豁免的群体，包括无家可归者，也不再自动符合条件。
官员和倡导者对人数流失原因看法不同。支持这些变化的人认为，减少可能反映的是一些人收入提高后不再符合资格；而倡导者则表示，不少人是因为材料、截止日期或文件缺失等行政障碍而失去福利。国会预算办公室原本预计下降会更缓慢，但目前的数据已经接近其原先预测到2030年左右才会出现的水平。