Thousands of families in the United States are finding out that they no longer qualify for SNAP food assistance, even when their incomes haven't changed much. In just one month, more than 660,000 people s no longer appear in the federal assistance program, a situation that is generating concern among low-income households that depend on these benefits to buy basic food each week.

New data released by the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) shows that the number of recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) passed 42.8 million people in January 2025 to 37.8 million in February 2026. This represents a 11% fall in shortly m more than a year. Just between January and February 2026, around 668,000 people left the program.

SNAP, popularly known as “food stamps,” is the main anti-hunger program in the country. Currently, it delivers an average of $354 dollars monthly per household through electronic cards that can be used at supermarkets and authorized stores.

The reduction began to accelerate after changes passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) came into effect. fications tightened the requirements for maintaining benefits, especially for adults considered able to work and who do not have dependents.

Now the work rules apply to people up to 64 years old. In addition, groups that were previously exempt are also subject to the new conditions. These include veterans, homeless people,and young people who were in the foster care system. Even some parents with children 14 years old or must verify that they work or participate in job training programs to keep aid.

For many families, the problem isn't necessarily earning more money. In numerous cases, recipients lose SNAP because they don't deliver documents on time, They forget to renew their case or have difficulty completing the recertification process, which must be done every three or six months, depending on the state.

President Donald Trump's administration has defended these measures, arguing that they seek to reduce dependence on government aid and combat irregularities within the system.

“This legislation combats the fraud and waste that have runaway within SNAP,” stated Brooke Rollins, Secretary of State Agriculture s United. “It also holds states accountable for their mistakes, strengthens work requirements and prevents illegal immigrants from receiving benefits.”

The numbers show that some states have been hit harder than others. 509,695 people in January 2026 to 448,976 in February, a decrease close to 12% in just one month. If compared with January 2025, the reduction reaches practically 50%.

Georgia reported the largest drop in total numbers, with more than 137,000 people stopping receiving food aid in just a month. Texas also m showed a sharp reduction, with more than 85,000 less beneficiaries. California, Florida and Pennsylvania also recorded thousands of drops on their rolls.

Although most states reported decreases, some had small increases. Alaska added more than 1,600 new beneficiaries, while Idaho and West Virginia showed smaller increases.

Specialists warn that this decrease could bring consequences beyond the affected families; the argument is that fewer people receiving SNAP can translate into more food insecurity.

“Existing research suggests that with a reduction in SNAP benefits there will be an increase in food insecurity. "after words, more people will go hungry," Elizabeth Palley, professor of social work at Adelphi University, told Newsweek.

The academic also warned that local businesses could suffer the impact.

“People who receive SNAP spend that money at local stores,” Palley said. “Without those benefits, people spend less, which could even cause some businesses to close.”

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