Texas SNAP enrollment hits 17-year low

Texas food stamp enrollment has fallen to 2.8 million recipients as of September, marking the lowest level since 2009. This represents a 20.8% year-over-year decline, the steepest drop the state has experienced in two decades.

Experts attribute the decline to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which implemented stricter eligibility standards, expanded work requirements, and introduced penalties for states with high payment error rates. The decline is particularly pronounced among children; while 1.4 million children remain enrolled, they account for more than half of the total enrollment drop. Participation among children under five has reached a 20-year low.

In addition to policy changes, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is facing application processing delays. The state's timeliness rate for processing applications within 30 days fell to 64% in September, down from 91% the previous year. This is significantly below the federal requirement of 95% necessary to avoid losing funding. Despite the drop in enrollment, food bank networks report record-high demand for assistance in local communities.