ARIZONA — President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law in July, triggering a nationwide decline in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that more than 3.5 million people—nearly 9% of SNAP beneficiaries—lost benefits between July and February, with participation falling in every state.

The law introduced stricter work requirements for SNAP eligibility, expanding them to include individuals ages 55 through 64, parents of children 14 and older, homeless individuals, veterans, and former foster youth. It also rendered certain legal non-citizen U.S. residents ineligible for benefits. Additionally, the act shifted some administrative and financial responsibilities for SNAP from the federal government to states, requiring them to help fund benefits previously covered entirely by federal dollars. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the law includes $187 billion in SNAP cuts, which the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities described as the “biggest cut in the program's history.” The Center also stated it is “very unlikely” that reduced need is driving the enrollment drop, noting that states face pressure to lower SNAP error rates—underpayments or overpayments—to limit their required financial contributions, a process that may result in eligible individuals losing access.

Arizona experienced the steepest decline, losing 51% of its SNAP beneficiaries—approximately 400,000 people—according to state data analyzed by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and confirmed by Claudio Rodriguez, deputy chief of community development at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Joseph Llobrera, senior director of research on the food assistance team at the Center, said Arizona’s high loss rate is compounded by preexisting issues like understaffing in benefits administration.

Llobrera said in a podcast interview that households now face “this mountain of paperwork that households are being required to submit” as states tighten procedures. “People are getting cut off because they can't get through, their paperwork isn't being approved, or they're being improperly denied,” he said.

Rhonda Keene, a 60-year-old Arizona resident, applied for SNAP in February after declining health prevented her from working full-time. She said she has responded to multiple state requests for documentation but has not received benefits. “I've never been in this situation. It's pretty humiliating,” Keene said. She is relying on family support and odd jobs while her retirement savings dwindle, and she fears losing her home.