Nearly Half of Arizona's SNAP Participants Have Lost Benefits After Federal Law Changes

A Sharp Decline in Food Assistance Leaves Thousands Without Help

More than 400,000 Arizonans have lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits since July 2025, the largest drop in the nation by a wide margin. The reduction represents nearly 47 percent of the state's SNAP participants and includes about 180,000 children, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

The sharp decline comes as Arizona swiftly implements changes mandated by President Donald Trump's so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which imposes stricter work requirements and shifts a larger share of program costs to states.

"Arizona is just the alarm bell," said Joseph Palomino, executive director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress. "This is likely going to happen in every state."

The nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released data through February showing that Arizona's participation in SNAP dropped by 32 percent nationwide, according to USDA figures. But Arizona Department of Economic Security data shows an even steeper 47 percent decrease.

Work Requirements and Error Rate Penalties Drive Reductions

The Trump administration bill, officially known as H.R. 1, introduced immediate and permanent changes to SNAP eligibility. Key provisions include:

• Expanded work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents
• Elimination of work exemptions for people who are homeless or aging out of foster care
• Mandated error rate reduction for states

Arizona's current SNAP error rate stands at 8.8 percent, below the national average of 10.9 percent. However, the state faces steep penalties if it cannot bring the rate down to 6 percent.

"States were incentivized to reduce errors and manage benefits efficiently," said a state official. "But the 10.4 percent error rate in the most recent fiscal year meant Arizona had to do a lot more culling of ineligible recipients."

If the error rate remains at 8.8 percent, Arizona could face penalties of $195.4 million in the 2027-2028 fiscal year. At 10 percent, the penalties could reach nearly $300 million—more than double the amount the state currently pays to operate the program.

Staffing Shortages Complicate Implementation

The situation is complicated by significant staffing reductions at the Arizona Department of Economic Security. Even before H.R. 1, about 500 workers—approximately 5 percent of the workforce—were laid off in the summer of 2025.

The number of workers reviewing food stamps eligibility dropped by 1,370 from July 2024 to 880 in July 2025. Currently, the department is processing an estimated 54,000 new and renewal SNAP applications, with 18,000 taking more than 30 days.

"Arizona, aware of the penalties for not getting its error rate down, was proactive in doing the greater checks to ensure that only those eligible under the new HR 1 rules are getting the aid," said gubernatorial press aide Christian Slater.

But with fewer staff, some applications and renewals are being delayed or denied outright when applicants cannot provide required information. This has resulted in some eligible people dropping off the rolls.

Real Impact on Families

Charisma Garcia, a 25-year-old mother of two, has tried for months to obtain an interview to complete a SNAP application. After weeks calling the agency only to get a recorded message, she recently woke before sunrise to wait in line at a DES office in south Phoenix.

"I need to do the thing that gets me the food," Garcia said.

When a security guard informed her that the agency wasn't doing in-person interviews, she headed to a food bank instead.

In December, Governor Katie Hobbs responded by earmarking $7.5 million in unused federal COVID relief money to address staffing constraints. The funds were used to hire temporary workers and expand the department's capacity to verify applicants' incomes.

State Officials Point to Federal Legislation

When asked about the sharp decline in SNAP participants, Governor Hobbs' press secretary, Liliana Soto, blamed Trump administration policies.

"Arizona, like many states, saw a swift impact due to several key provisions that became effective upon the bill's passage," Soto said in a statement. "The 'drop' in cases reflects Arizona's diligent and immediate implementation of H.R. 1 requirements."

Soto emphasized that the governor's administration is taking these steps to avoid "staggering fines of hundreds of millions of dollars that would further endanger food assistance for vulnerable Arizonans."

Looking Ahead

Arizona Department of Economic Security spokesman Brett Bezio said the department expects participation to stabilize in the coming months.

"It is important to note that we believe most of the impact of the changes from H.R. 1 have been realized, and we will begin to see consistency in the SNAP caseload in the months ahead," Bezio said.

However, experts warn that other states may be following Arizona's lead in implementing stricter requirements, which could make the situation worse nationally.

Nationwide, SNAP enrollment plummeted 8 percent from December 2024 to December 2025, according to USDA estimates. President Trump has touted the decline as a success, stating that his administration has "lifted 3.3 million Americans off of food stamps."

"This dramatic drop cannot be explained by a rapid improvement in people's economic well-being or reduced need for help affording food," the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted. "The state's unemployment rate rose over the period of the study, while the cost of groceries rose about 4 percent in 2025."

The choices Arizona is making regarding SNAP implementation are becoming a reality that every state is facing, according to Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Congress created what Bergh calls a "terrible incentive" by requiring states to reduce their error rate and shoulder more of the program's costs.

Funding Needs

Governor Hobbs' FY27 Executive Budget proposal includes an increase of $48.4 million in funding to address increased costs due to H.R. 1 provisions impacting the Department's administration of SNAP. This includes funding the administrative cost shift to states, system improvements, and 146 full-time employees necessary to continue efforts to meet federal quality standards.

Arizona also has one of the lowest administrative costs per SNAP caseload, according to the department.

As other states fully implement the provisions of H.R. 1 and Arizona stabilizes, differences in caseload decline between states are expected to more closely align, according to state officials.

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Sources:

• ABC15: Arizona seeing largest drop in people receiving SNAP benefits, report shows — https://www.abc15.com/news/state/arizona-seeing-largest-drop-in-people-receiving-snap-benefits-report-shows
• ProPublica: Nearly Half of Arizona's SNAP Participants Have Lost Benefits — Trump Legislation — https://www.propublica.org/article/arizona-snap-benefits-trump-legislation
• KTAR/KJZZ: Study: Arizona SNAP recipients dropped 47% since Big Beautiful Bill, more than any other state — https://www.kjzz.org/politics/2026-04-09/study-arizona-snap-recipients-dropped-47-since-big-beautiful-bill-more-than-any-other-state
• Tucson.com: Report: Arizona had highest percentage of people losing SNAP food aid — https://tucson.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_fc0c21a5-1ae4-402e-884c-bb4da2b89ad6.html