Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May, a drop of more than 13% over 12 months. Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, show the decline is much faster than the Congressional Budget Office projected after President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” expanded work requirements and changed other social-safety-net rules. Arizona recorded the largest decline, with enrollment falling 55% from April 2025 to April 2026 and more than 400,000 fewer recipients. State officials attributed much of the reduction to administrative difficulties, including unprecedented call volumes, additional verification requirements and barriers to submitting documentation. Advocates say some eligible people are losing coverage because they miss deadlines or cannot provide required paperwork, while welfare-reform proponents say falling enrollment could indicate that more people are earning enough to leave the rolls. SNAP helps more than 1 in 10 people in the U.S., most of whom have incomes below the poverty line, and provides an average monthly benefit of $344 per household. The expanded requirements generally cover adults ages 55 to 64 and people with children ages 14 to 17 who were previously exempt, while people 65 and older, those with children younger than 14 and people with health limitations remain exempt. Analysts and advocates expect further effects when states begin sharing benefit costs in October 2027 if their payment-error rates exceed 6%, although Congress has considered delaying the change. Food banks and schools are not expected to fully replace SNAP’s scale, raising concerns about hunger and linked benefits such as free school meals and WIC.