Texas SNAP enrollment hits 17-year low amid federal eligibility tightening and state processing delays

Advocates say declining numbers reflect bureaucratic barriers rather than reduced need, as food banks report record demand

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time3 min

The number of Texans receiving food stamps has fallen to a 17-year low, with enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dropping to 2.8 million in September, according to data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The decline follows the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year, which tightened work requirements and eligibility rules, while the state faces a growing backlog of applications and risks losing federal funding for failing to process them on time.

Texas SNAP participation has hit its lowest point since August 2009, with 2.8 million enrollees in September, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). Nationally, SNAP enrollment is also at a 17-year low.

The year-over-year decline of 20.8 percent from September 2025 is the steepest in two decades. Children, who make up 1.4 million of recipients, account for more than half of the losses. The number of children under five enrolled has never been lower in over 20 years.

Experts attribute the drop to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which expanded work requirements to parents of children under 13 and people up to age 64, and made some lawful migrants ineligible for benefits. Refugees also lost eligibility.

“The declines aren’t the result of people leaving the program because they no longer need it, or because they found work,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, a statewide network of food banks. “At the same time that you’re seeing this record low enrollment, we’re seeing record high need in our communities.”

Meanwhile, HHSC processed only 64 percent of SNAP applications within the federally required 30 days in September, down from 91 percent last year. The federal government requires a 95 percent timeliness rate or states risk losing funding. The agency faces a growing backlog, partly driven by efforts to reduce its error rate of nearly 9 percent to below 6 percent to avoid up to $2 billion in additional costs under the new cost-sharing provisions of the bill.

“New SNAP mandates require a thorough review of each case to ensure program integrity and accuracy,” said Guillermo Zenizo Lindsey, an assistant press officer for HHSC. “HHSC will continue supporting eligible Texas families as quickly as possible.”

Advocacy groups say the emphasis on accuracy is leading to eligible people being cut off. Diana Forester, director of health policy for Texans Care for Children, said lawmakers need to address the bureaucratic delays. “We don’t want kids or seniors going to bed hungry because state workers can’t get through the stack of SNAP applications piling up in their office,” she said.

The enrollment drop is also affecting rural areas, where SNAP participation is higher. Brookshire Brothers, a grocery chain with stores across rural East Texas, reported significantly reduced SNAP spending. The company has promoted its Brown Bag of Hope program, which provides food to local food banks, sending out more than 4,000 bags over the summer.

“We recognize that when families have fewer resources to put toward groceries, the impact extends beyond their households and into the communities we call home,” said Melissa Crager, the public relations and corporate responsibility manager for Brookshire Brothers.

Food banks associated with Feeding Texas are struggling with demand and have implemented restrictions on visits and supplies.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Nearly 1.4 million Texas children rely on SNAP, and the sharp decline in enrollment among children under five raises concerns about food insecurity and long-term health impacts.
The loss of SNAP eligibility also disqualifies children from automatic free school lunches and lowers their priority for subsidized child care, compounding the financial strain on families.
Texas faces potential loss of federal funding and up to $2 billion in additional costs if it cannot improve processing timeliness and reduce error rates, which could create further fiscal pressure on the state budget.

Background

SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families, typically serving as a temporary bridge during economic hardship. Enrollment usually rises during recessions or natural disasters. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress last year, introduced stricter work requirements for able-bodied adults up to age 64 and some parents of children under 13, and restricted eligibility for certain legal migrants and refugees. The law also imposed new cost-sharing rules that penalize states with high error rates for overpayments or underpayments. Texas HHSC is responsible for processing both SNAP and Medicaid applications, and the same staff handle both, contributing to backlogs.

Key Perspectives

HHSC/State Government: The agency says it is focused on program integrity and accuracy, implementing measures to lower error rates and protect taxpayer dollars. It maintains that it will continue to support eligible Texans as quickly as possible.

Advocacy Groups (Feeding Texas, Texans Care for Children): They argue the enrollment decline reflects bureaucratic failures and overly strict enforcement of new rules, not a reduction in need. They say eligible people, including children and seniors, are being wrongly cut off, while food bank demand reaches record levels.

Critics/Skeptics: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act's supporters would contend the work requirements encourage self-sufficiency and reduce dependency. Opponents note that many older adults and parents of young children may struggle to find work, especially in areas with limited job opportunities.

What to Watch

HHSC's processing timeliness rate over the coming months; if it remains below 95 percent, Texas could face federal funding penalties.
Whether HHSC's error rate drops below 6 percent to avoid the estimated $2 billion in additional costs.
Food bank capacity and whether the state legislature takes action in the next session to address the application backlog.

Sources

Texas SNAP participation drops to a 17-year low as the feds tighten eligibility · Texas Tribune

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedTexas SNAP enrollment reached a 17-year low in September.Texas Tribune: “There were 2.8 million Texans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in September, which is the lowest enrollment number since August 2009”
SupportedThe enrollment low comes amid tighter federal eligibility rules and state processing delays.Texas Tribune: “The number of Texans receiving food stamps has hit a 17-year low as the federal government tightens eligibility and the state struggles to process applications in a timely manner.”
Partly supportedAdvocates say bureaucratic barriers, rather than reduced need, explain the declining numbers.Texas Tribune: “Advocacy groups say this move to lower the error rate has resulted in a significant backlog in both SNAP and Medicaid applications, which are reviewed by the same staff. Those groups fear that HHSC’s changes are leading to eligible people getting cut off from these federal benefits.”
Partly supportedFood banks report record demand.Texas Tribune: “Many food banks associated with Feeding Texas are struggling to keep up with demand”
SupportedCelia Cole said the declines were not because people no longer needed SNAP or found work, and that enrollment was at a record low while need was at a record high.Texas Tribune: ““The declines aren’t the result of people leaving the program because they no longer need it, or because they found work,” said Celia Cole , the CEO of Feeding Texas, a statewide network of food banks. “At the same time that you’re seeing this record low enrollment, we’re seeing record high need in our communities.”
SupportedTexas SNAP enrollment fell 20.8 percent year over year, its steepest decline in two decades.Texas Tribune: “Compared to September 2025, Texas’ SNAP enrollment dropped 20.8% — the steepest year-over-year decline of the last two decades.”
SupportedHHSC processed 64 percent of SNAP applications within 30 days in September.Texas Tribune: “In September, the state processed 64% of SNAP applications in a timely manner — within 30 days”
SupportedStates risk losing federal funding if they do not process 95 percent of applications on time.Texas Tribune: “The federal government requires states to process 95% of applications in a timely manner or the state risks losing federal funding.”
SupportedGuillermo Zenizo Lindsey said new SNAP mandates require thorough case reviews to ensure program integrity and accuracy, and that HHSC would continue supporting eligible Texas families as quickly as possible.Texas Tribune: ““New SNAP mandates require a thorough review of each case to ensure program integrity and accuracy,” said Guillermo Zenizo Lindsey, an assistant press officer for the agency. “HHSC will continue supporting eligible Texas families as quickly as possible.””
Partly supportedAdvocacy groups say the emphasis on accuracy is leading to eligible people being cut off.Texas Tribune: “Those groups fear that HHSC’s changes are leading to eligible people getting cut off from these federal benefits.”
SupportedDiana Forester said children or seniors should not go hungry because state workers cannot get through the backlog of SNAP applications.Texas Tribune: ““We don’t want kids or seniors going to bed hungry because state workers can’t get through the stack of SNAP applications piling up in their office,” Forester said.”
SupportedMelissa Crager said families having fewer grocery resources affects both their households and their communities.Texas Tribune: ““We recognize that when families have fewer resources to put toward groceries, the impact extends beyond their households and into the communities we call home,” said Melissa Crager, the public relations and corporate responsibility manager for Brookshire Brothers.”