More than 5 million fewer Americans were participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP) by June 2026, putting additional pressure on food banks already dealing with rising demand and higher operating costs.
The decline followed the July 2025 enactment of the Republican reconciliation law, which changed SNAP eligibility and work requirements. But the latest figures do not mean 5 million people were individually removed from the programme because of the law. Participation had already been falling before some of its major provisions took effect, while the decline accelerated afterwards.
