Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, has reached a 10-year low in Connecticut.
Advocates blame the sweeping tax bill championed by Republicans in Congress and signed by President Donald Trump (R) last summer.
H.R. 1, nicknamed the One Big Beautiful Bill, was a marquee achievement for Trump’s first year back in office. It cut support for several social service programs, including SNAP and Medicaid, through new work requirements and eligibility standards. It also shifts administrative costs to the states, which are responsible for administering the programs.
Republicans said it was to root out fraud. Democrats and social service advocates warned it would hurt the people who rely on the programs.
SNAP was one of the first federal programs to face sweeping changes.
Connecticut Voices for Children examined the impacts. They found that SNAP enrollment in the state decreased 17% between July 2025 and 2026.
“We're seeing food assistance contract at precisely the moment that economic need is increasing,” Research and Policy Director Emily Knox said during a presentation of the report to the press on Thursday. “So that means fewer families have help buying food, and SNAP as a program is becoming less able to perform its basic role as a safety net during a weakening labor market.”
State lawmakers have allocated money to soften the blow of the changes. $500 million was set aside for social service programs, and almost half of it has already been spent.
However, Research and Policy associate Ruchi Sheth said the state will need to continue spending to make up for federal losses.
Included in a list of policy recommendations is creating a state version of SNAP that would be less volatile than the federal iteration, and increasing staff numbers at the state Department of Social Services.
“If Connecticut relies only on emergency funds and one-time adjustments, it will repeatedly face the same cliff,” Sheth said. “A durable response requires matching ongoing obligations with ongoing capacity, while preserving room to invest in the staffing, systems, and services to keep eligible residents connected to assistance.”
The next major federal program to face changes is Medicaid. Sheth said those new work requirements will further strain the state.
“SNAP serves as a cautionary tale for this much larger implementation challenge,” Sheth said. “The two programs differ, but the operational lesson here is transferable. From SNAP, we know the expanded work requirements produced sustained enrollment losses within a single year. However, the population affected by Medicaid requirements is much larger. Early DSS projections indicate that about 110,000 Husky D enrollees may be vulnerable.”
Medicaid work requirements take effect on January 1, 2027.
