Lifestyle Sports: April 2026

By Marion Nestle

April 21 2026

Just as expected, SNAP participation is declining, and by a lot

FRAC, the venerable Food Research & Action Center, is tracking trends in SNAP participation.

The decline is not because of lack of need. As FRAC explains, it is the result of deliberate efforts by the Trump administration to reduce SNAP enrollments.

At the end of 2024, President Trump intervened to allow replacement benefits for victims of theft to expire..
The administration rolled back equity-focused administrative improvements.
It introduced data collection demands on SNAP participants.
It passed the budget reconciliation law, H.R. 1, in July 2025, moving the situation from erosion to introduction of intentional instability and outright removal of participation. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted, correctly, that enrollment would decline by 2.4 million people in an average month, mainly the most vulnerable.
It encouraged states to pass SNAP purchase restrictions, framed as health interventions—see Calley Means’ post below—but actually intended to discourage participation. These further stigmatize participants and imposre costly compliance burdens on retailers.

As FRAC further explains, none of this is accidental.

People are being cut off not because they no longer qualify, but because the system is designed in a way that makes maintaining eligibility increasingly difficult. As households experience delays, confusion, and failed attempts to access assistance — especially following the disruption during the 2025 government shutdown — trust in the program will deteriorate. Participation will decline further as people disengage from a system they no longer believe will work for them.

Comment

SNAP is the core of federal food assistance for those in need. It has its problems as a program, but none of these actions are aimed at improving access, benefits, or program integrity—just the opposite.

Expect poverty rates to increase and by a lot, given food inflation, especially among children. If they are lucky, school age children will get school meals at least, but those programs are also being cut.

When people ask me what policy might actually improve food insecurity and reduce poverty, I say Universal Basic Income. That would solve a lot of problems.

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