No states are completely losing food stamps, as SNAP is a federal program that continues to operate in every state, but several factors have led to reductions in participation or benefits that some describe as losing food stamps. First, the end of pandemic-era emergency allotments in 2023 reduced monthly benefits for all SNAP households nationwide, so many families saw their benefits drop significantly. Second, federal policy changes that expand work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, tighten income verification, or change broad-based categorical eligibility can cause some households to lose eligibility or receive lower benefits. States that are required to implement stricter work requirement rules or that have chosen to tighten eligibility may see larger drops in enrollment. Third, states must recertify participants more frequently if they have not adopted simplified reporting, leading to churn where eligible families temporarily lose benefits due to paperwork. Any state-level waiver to restrict soda purchases does not reduce benefit dollars but changes what can be bought. Overall, changes are federal and apply nationally rather than eliminating SNAP in specific states.
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