At Least 1.75 Million Fewer People Are Receiving SNAP Since Trump Took Office
civileats.com
The drop in enrollment is not a sign that the need for food assistance has declined, however, according to an anti-hunger advocate.

February 2, 2025 – An estimated 1.75 million fewer people are participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since the start of the Trump administration, demonstrating a decline even before large policy changes to the program began to take effect in November.

The latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) shows that the number of individuals participating in SNAP declined from over 42.8 million individuals to about 41.07 million between January and October 2025.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins shared the latest numbers on Fox Business Friday, where she attributed the decline to a stronger economy and higher wages. Food prices have increased throughout the Trump administration, and overall affordability has remained a top concern for Americans.

Rollins also said the numbers show the amount of fraud in the program, echoing earlier Trump administration claims that it is cracking down on alleged fraud in federal programs like SNAP. After receiving more SNAP data from 29 states, the USDA said it found 186,000 deceased people still receiving benefits and about 500,000 people received benefits twice. The agency has not shared details of that data, which, if accurate, would represent a small fraction of the overall decline, so it’s unclear if these are administrative mistakes or actual fraud.

There have been similar dips in SNAP enrollment in the past, including in September 2024 when participation fell below 40 million people. But the latest numbers do not account for the expected drop in enrollment as a result of SNAP changes included in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB).

The new law expanded work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). The OBBB increases the age cap for ABAWDs from 54 to 64. It also removes exemptions for veterans and people experiencing homelessness, and raises the threshold for state waivers on these requirements.

Most states began implementing these new work requirements in November.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 2.4 million people per month are expected to lose access to SNAP from the work requirement changes.

Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP director at the Food and Research Action Center (FRAC), said there has been a decline in caseloads due to increased barriers to access, long call wait times, and “fear of using the program.” Even as these drop, food pantry visits are on the rise, she added.

“While I’m not surprised, it’s not something to celebrate,” Pata-Nino said in an email about the drop in SNAP participants. “It’s not just one factor but a combination of ongoing attacks from the Administration on SNAP.” (Link to this post.)

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