SNAP enrollment declines dramatically in Arizona under new federal eligibility rules

PHOENIX — SNAP enrollment has fallen dramatically in Arizona in just three months, according to the latest state numbers.

About 533,000 people received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in January, a 31% decline from October, according to the Department of Economic Security.

The drop is even more pronounced compared to one year earlier, when nearly 1 million Arizonans received assistance in January 2025.

“The caseload decline is driven in large part by the requirements in H.R.1, passed in July 2025, that changed SNAP eligibility and imposed new quality review requirements on states,” Brett Bezio, a DES spokesperson, told ABC15 in a statement.

Children make up more than 40% of the state’s SNAP recipients, and the number of kids receiving benefits in January fell by one-third compared to October.

Read the full story from ABC15 Arizona here.

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