A new report found that far more Connecticut residents lost SNAP benefits over the past year than state officials initially projected
The losses stemmed from the Republican-led federal budget law passed in July 2025, which expanded work requirements and shifted costs to states
Connecticut’s decline mirrored a national trend, with millions of Americans losing SNAP benefits since the law took effect
A year after Republicans in Congress passed a sweeping federal budget law, a new report found the Trump regime had disconnected tens of thousands of Connecticut residents from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, more than double earlier estimates.
Connecticut Voices For Children reported the federal budget’s reductions of support for SNAP have disconnected as many as 63,000 Connecticut residents from those services, well above initial estimates of 21,000 to 36,000 made in late 2025.
From July 2025 to July 2026, statewide SNAP enrollment fell from just under 360,000 to 297,041, down 17.5%, marking the lowest enrollment level in a decade. CVFC noted the rising unemployment rate makes it clear these losses are due to policy actions made by the federal government.
The federal budget law shifted hundreds of millions of dollars in SNAP costs onto states, expanded work requirements and ended support for people with lawful immigration status in the United States, among other changes.
Connecticut has been responding to the cuts through its Federal Cuts Response Fund, which invested millions of dollars into food support programs statewide.
Connecticut’s decline in SNAP recipients is not exclusive to just one state. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that SNAP participation nationwide fell by more than 10%, or 4.5 million people, through April 2026, with more losses expected in ensuing months. Some states saw more significant issues than Connecticut; Arizona saw a 48% decline year-over-year, while Florida and Louisiana saw declines of 21%.
The enrollment decline meant Connecticut had to take on $131 million per year in additional benefit costs. New Medicaid work requirements taking effect in January 2027 were expected to disconnect additional Connecticut residents from federal assistance programs.
By Joe O’Leary
