Arizona Sees Largest Drop in SNAP Recipients Nationwide

New report shows over 400,000 Arizonans have lost food assistance since July 2025

Apr. 10, 2026 at 12:25am

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A photorealistic painting in the style of Edward Hopper, depicting a solitary government assistance form or office space filled with warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conveying a sense of isolation and bureaucratic complexity.The dramatic decline in SNAP recipients in Arizona casts a somber light on the challenges facing vulnerable residents who rely on government food assistance programs.Phoenix Today

A new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reveals that Arizona has had the biggest drop in people receiving SNAP benefits across the country, with a decline of more than 33%. The state has removed over 400,000 Arizonans from the food assistance program since July 2025, citing compliance with new federal regulations under H.R. 1 as the reason.

Why it matters

The significant decline in SNAP recipients in Arizona raises concerns about access to food assistance for vulnerable residents, especially those on fixed incomes. The changes come as the state's Department of Economic Security has faced scrutiny over long wait times and staffing issues in processing SNAP and unemployment benefits.

The details

The report shows that the drop in SNAP recipients in Arizona is the largest nationwide. The state has cited compliance with new federal regulations under H.R. 1, passed in July 2025, as the reason for the case closures. Specifically, changes to exemptions for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) have been a major driver of the case closures, along with efforts to address the state's payment error rate in the program.

  • The decline in SNAP recipients in Arizona began in July 2025.
  • In December 2025, the governor directed millions of dollars to the Department of Economic Security to add temporary staffing and enhance technology to address long wait times and lack of staffing for processing SNAP and unemployment benefits.

The players

Katie Hobbs

The Governor of Arizona who stated that the administration's push to remove people from SNAP benefits is due to compliance with new federal regulations, not an intentional effort to push people off the program.

Cookie Love Thompson

An Arizona resident on a fixed income who has been removed from SNAP benefits and is trying to get answers from the Department of Economic Security about why her benefits were cut off.

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What they’re saying

“It is not a push from my administration to push people off of SNAP. It is a push to comply with new federal regulations that put a whole bunch more hurdles in front of people to make sure that we don't lose the federal funding that we have.”

— Katie Hobbs, Governor of Arizona

“The gentleman I was trying to talk to over my interview, he said, Ms. Thompson, I don't know why they cut you off.”

— Cookie Love Thompson

What’s next

The Department of Economic Security has stated that it believes most of the impact of the changes from H.R. 1 has been realized, and the state expects to see consistency in the SNAP caseload in the months ahead as other states fully implement the provisions of the federal legislation.

The takeaway

The significant drop in SNAP recipients in Arizona highlights the challenges facing vulnerable residents who rely on food assistance, as the state navigates new federal regulations that have led to widespread case closures. The situation raises questions about access to essential services and the long-term sustainability of the SNAP program in Arizona.