Largest SNAP cut in history: ~$186 billion

Summary

The July 4, 2025 reconciliation law (H.R. 1) cut federal SNAP food assistance by roughly $186 billion over a decade - the largest cut in the program's history - by expanding work requirements to older adults and parents, shifting benefit costs to states for the first time, and capping future benefit growth.

What happened

OBBBA expanded SNAP work requirements to able-bodied adults up to age 64 and to parents of children 14 and older (in force in most states since November 1, 2025), and for the first time requires states to pay 5-15% of benefit costs (from FY2028, based on payment-error rates) while raising the state share of administrative costs from 50% to 75% (FY2027). Future Thrifty Food Plan updates are capped to inflation, ending real benefit growth.

Impact on the United States

CBO projects the changes reduce federal SNAP spending by about $186 billion over 2025-2034, a federal saving achieved by removing food assistance from millions of low-income Americans. SNAP enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026 (more than 13%) as the work-requirement expansion took effect, raising food insecurity with downstream health and child-development costs.

Documented effects

1. Jul 2025CBO scored H.R. 1's SNAP provisions at roughly $186 billion in reduced federal spending over 2025-2034 - the largest SNAP cut in history.[1]
2. May 2026SNAP enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, a drop of more than 13%, as the expanded work requirements took hold.[4][2]
3. A new state benefit cost-share of 5-15% (tied to payment-error rates) begins FY2028, and the federal administrative-cost match drops from 50% to 25% (FY2027), pressuring state budgets.[2][5]

Why this is rated severe

The largest cut to federal food assistance in the program's history (~$186B), expanding work requirements and shifting benefit costs to states - putting millions of low-income Americans at risk of losing food aid; SNAP enrollment fell by more than 13% (42.2 million to 36.6 million) from May 2025 to May 2026.

Corrections & updates [6]

Every change to a fact on this page after publication is logged here, newest first.

1. Sep 29, 2026UpdatedFigure

   Newer federal data: SNAP enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026, a drop of more than 13% (AP, via PBS, Aug 21, 2026). CBPP's tracker now estimates a decline of over 5 million (nearly 13%) from July 2025 to June 2026. The earlier 'more than 3.5 million by February 2026' figure is replaced with the current data.[4][2]

2. Sep 29, 2026CorrectedSource

   Source metadata corrected. The CBPP tracker is a living page now titled 'SNAP Tracker: People Are Losing Food Assistance as the Harmful 2025 Republican Reconciliation Law Is Implemented' (last updated September 24, 2026). The AARP article is titled 'What to Know as SNAP Work Requirements Take Effect' and was published November 3, 2025.[2][3]

3. Sep 29, 2026ClarifiedWhat happened

   AP reports the expanded work requirement has kicked in for most of the country but will not begin in some places until 2027, so 'in force since November 1, 2025' is narrowed to most states.[3][4]

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   Previously

   OBBBA expanded SNAP work requirements to able-bodied adults up to age 64 and to parents of children 14 and older (in force since November 1, 2025), and for the first time requires states to pay 5-15% of benefit costs (from FY2028, based on payment-error rates) while raising the state share of administrative costs from 50% to 75% (FY2027). Future Thrifty Food Plan updates are capped to inflation, ending real benefit growth.

   Now

   OBBBA expanded SNAP work requirements to able-bodied adults up to age 64 and to parents of children 14 and older (in force in most states since November 1, 2025), and for the first time requires states to pay 5-15% of benefit costs (from FY2028, based on payment-error rates) while raising the state share of administrative costs from 50% to 75% (FY2027). Future Thrifty Food Plan updates are capped to inflation, ending real benefit growth.

4. Sep 29, 2026CorrectedSource

   Added the law itself as the source for the cost-sharing changes: section 10106 of Public Law 119-21 sets the federal share of state SNAP administrative costs at 50 percent through fiscal 2026 and 25 percent from fiscal 2027, and section 10105 makes states pay 0-15 percent of benefit costs, by payment-error rate, beginning in fiscal 2028.[5]

5. Sep 29, 2026UpdatedSummary card

   Updated the summary card, which said participation had fallen by more than 3.5 million by early 2026, with the entry's current figure: SNAP enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026 (AP).[4]

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   Previously

   The reconciliation law cut SNAP by roughly $186 billion - the biggest cut in the program's history - by expanding work requirements to older adults and parents and, for the first time, making states pay 5-15% of benefit costs from 2028. Participation had already fallen more than 3.5 million by early 2026.

   Now

   The reconciliation law cut SNAP by roughly $186 billion - the biggest cut in the program's history - by expanding work requirements to older adults and parents and, for the first time, making states pay 5-15% of benefit costs from 2028. Enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May 2026.

6. Sep 29, 2026CorrectedCost estimate

   Re-sourced to CBO's table for the enacted law ($186.65B SNAP cut over FY2025-2034). The mid-2026 saving is now CBO's own FY2026 estimate, pro-rated, instead of an unsourced guess. The unsourced ~$40B broader-cost estimate is removed; no published study puts a dollar figure on the burden to households, so the broader cost is left at $0 (a floor) rather than set equal to the federal saving. The 15-year figure extends CBO's 10-year average pace.

   Previously

   net -$3B so far (gross $1B, saved $4B); 10yr -$186B; 15yr -$220B; broader $40B

   Now

   net -$5.97B so far (saved $5.97B); 10yr -$186.65B; 15yr -$298.6B; broader $0

Sources [5]