At Least 3.5 Million People Lost Food Stamp Access as OBBBA Work Rules Kicked In. States Say the Worst Is Still Coming.

Between July 2025 and February 2026, at least 3.5 million people lost access to food stamp benefits as work requirements and eligibility changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act began taking effect. States were bracing for further losses as June enforcement deadlines arrived.

What You Should Know

The OBBBA cut $187 billion from SNAP over 10 years. The law expanded work requirements to adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents, requiring documentation of 80 hours per month of work, education, or community service. Previously, the upper age threshold was 54. The law also tightened exemptions: parents of children 14 and older no longer qualify for the dependent-child exemption.

Arizona lost 51 percent of its SNAP beneficiaries, according to CBPP data. California saw a more than 6 percent decline in participation from February 2025 to February 2026. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York documented a ‘remarkable increase in food insecurity’ as people cope with both higher costs and the loss of federal aid.

The System Under Pressure

State SNAP administration systems - already strained before the rule changes - now face the additional burden of verifying 80-hour monthly work documentation for millions more people. Errors in those systems cut off eligible people, not just ineligible ones.

The USDA issued a demand to Minnesota requiring in-person interviews of 100,000 households within 30 days, threatening to disqualify the state from the program entirely. A federal court intervened with a preliminary injunction.

The Receipts

CNBC confirmed the 3.5 million figure and the Arizona and California data using CBPP analysis. The CBO estimated the OBBBA’s nutrition provisions would reduce spending by $10-15 billion per year. USDA and CBPP both confirmed the state-level impact data.

What Happens Next

Additional enforcement deadlines arrived in June 2026. States with high error rates face new financial penalties beginning in federal fiscal year 2028. USDA food restriction waivers - allowing states to ban certain food purchases with SNAP benefits - are spreading: 19 states are expected to have waivers by end of 2026, affecting 7.5 million households.

References: CNBC | WSWS