The number of Texans receiving food stamps has hit a 17-year low as the federal government tightens eligibility and the state struggles to process applications in a timely manner.
There were 2.8 million Texans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in September, which is the lowest enrollment number since August 2009, according to most recent data available from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Nationally, SNAP enrollment is also at a 17-year low. Experts believe the drop stems from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year that requires more people to work to remain eligible and penalizes states for high error rates of overpaying or underpaying recipients. Compared to September 2025, Texas’ SNAP enrollment dropped 20.8% — the steepest year-over-year decline of the last two decades.
