Arizona SNAP Cuts: How Trump’s Budget Rules Are Denying Benefits to Eligible Families

Residents in Arizona are struggling to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as the state rushes to install new eligibility requirements set by Donald Trump’s “one, big, beautiful bill,” NBC News reported Monday.

Since Trump’s budget bill passed last July, nearly $187 million in SNAP cuts over the next 10 years have pushed 3.5 million people off the rolls nationwide. The law requires able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents to work 80 hours per month, or 20 hours per week, to qualify for benefits.

Arizona’s SNAP Enrollment Plummets by 50% Under New Rules

Arizona has moved rapidly to comply with the new requirements, increasing documentation demands and bolstering the review process. As of March, the state saw a 50% decrease in SNAP enrollees compared to the previous year—the largest drop-off in the country—including 200,000 children.

Eligible Families Caught in Paperwork Nightmare

In the rush to enforce the new rules, many eligible Americans have been wrongly removed from the program. Tiffany Hudson, a single mother of two young children, experienced this firsthand after months of paperwork delays. Despite being exempt from the work requirements, Hudson said she stopped receiving her $600 monthly SNAP benefits three months ago.

“It’s been really hard. We’ve been going to food banks every week. We’re eating less, we’re eating more frozen stuff.”

After waiting for hours at the Arizona Department of Economic Security office, Hudson was told she needed to provide additional documentation, including a written statement from her father clarifying that a birthday gift she received via Zelle was not a recurring payment.

State Workers Struggle Under Increased Burden

Inside the Arizona Department of Economic Security, heightened requirements have strained employees, who are processing SNAP applications after 400 layoffs in July. Trump’s budget bill, known as the OBBB, requires states to keep their payment error rate below 6.6% or risk covering a portion of SNAP benefits themselves.

Arizona’s error rate was 8.8% in fiscal year 2024 and is projected to reach 10% in fiscal year 2025. If the state fails to lower the rate this year, it could face up to $208 million in costs.

Food Banks See Surge in Demand as Families Go Hungry

Meanwhile, Arizonans losing their benefits are turning to donations to survive. St. Mary’s Food Bank, the largest in the state, reported a 12% increase in demand across Arizona. Milton Liu, the food bank’s head, told NBC News that demand has already risen by 25% in some rural counties and is expected to grow further.