SNAP Cuts Impact Hunger
New Federal SNAP Cuts Force Food Banks to Brace for Summer Hunger Surge
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Food banks across the country are bracing for a brutal summer. Federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — the food stamp program — are taking full effect just as millions of children lose access to school meals. KTNV reports this is the first summer under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, which enacted the largest cuts to food assistance in U.S. history.
SNAP participation has already dropped by nearly 9% since the bill's signing, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. That translates to roughly 3.5 million people who have lost benefits. Food banks are now absorbing the fallout — and many are running out of room.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Slashes SNAP by 20%
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act cuts $186 billion from SNAP over the next 10 years — a roughly 20% reduction in federal spending. The law also adds stricter work requirements. Adults aged 55 to 64 and parents of children over 14 must now prove they work at least 80 hours a month to keep their benefits. Those requirements took full effect in major states including California and New York on June 1, 2026, according to Fox13 Now.
The law also shifts costs to states. Starting in October 2026, states will pay 25% of administrative costs — up from the previous 50-50 split. By October 2027, states that make too many payment errors must cover up to 15% of actual food benefit costs. Alabama alone will need an extra $35 million per year just to cover the administrative shift, according to state analysts.
Millions Lose Benefits as Paperwork Piles Up
SNAP participation fell fastest in Arizona, where the number of recipients dropped by 51% — the steepest decline in the nation. Officials point to new paperwork requirements as a major driver. Joseph Llobrera, a senior director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said people are being "cut off because they can't get through [or] their paperwork isn't being approved."
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has called the drop a result of a "crackdown on fraud." But federal data shows fraud accounts for only about 1% of SNAP spending. Critics say the real cause is a "mountain of paperwork" that trips up elderly, disabled, and low-income recipients who struggle to navigate the system.
Food Banks Face a Surge They Can't Afford
Summer already strains food banks every year. When school ends, children lose free and reduced-price meals — up to 10 meals a week for some families. This year, that seasonal squeeze is hitting alongside the biggest federal food cut in decades. The Food Bank of the Rockies reported a "huge spike in demand" as families are forced to choose between gas, rent, and food, according to Director of Food Sourcing Mark Weslar.
Some regions are seeing a 250% increase in traffic to online food locator tools, WMAR2 News reports. Food banks are also under severe financial strain. Cuts to federal nutrition education funding took effect in October 2025, reducing support for food bank programs. Many charitable organizations say they are "buckling under the strain" of filling a gap the federal government used to cover.
Who Gets Hit Hardest This Summer
About 70% of SNAP participants are elderly, disabled, or children, according to Harvard public health professor Sara Bleich. Those groups face the greatest risk from the new rules. An estimated 1 million adults aged 55 to 64 are expected to lose benefits due to the new work mandates. Parents of teenagers are also newly affected — a change that hits working-poor families particularly hard.
The economic ripple effects extend beyond individual households. The Commonwealth Fund projects that cuts to SNAP and Medicaid will cost the U.S. 1.22 million jobs by 2029, as reduced household spending drags down local economies. Meanwhile, 68% of American adults say they are worried about affording groceries in 2026, according to the National Women's Law Center.
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