1 year after changes: Thousands of Butler County residents have lost SNAP benefits
Last year’s changes to federal eligibility guidelines for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have led to steeper-than-expected drops in enrollment, causing a knock-on effect for other food relief programs that are struggling to cope with the strain.
As part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump last summer, the federal government made drastic changes to the requirements for residents to qualify for the program. The new requirements took effect at the start of September 2025, with further restrictions added at the start of November.
“SNAP benefits have been entirely federally funded since 1964 and total approximately $365 million each month for Pennsylvania, but H.R.1 created new pressures and rules that are jeopardizing and destabilizing this vital program, leaving vulnerable people without food,” said Brandon Cwalina, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
To qualify for SNAP benefits, most cardholders must verify that they are working at least 20 hours per week, in school, volunteering or enrolled in an approved job training program. These requirements apply to cardholders between the ages of 18 and 64, who do not have a dependent child under 14, and are considered fit to work. Previous exemptions were also removed for veterans and foster youth between age 18 and 24.
Official statistics from the past 12 months indicate that the eligibility changes have had a profound impact.
According to the most recent data from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, 14,297 Butler County residents are currently receiving SNAP benefits — about 7% of the county. This represents one of the lowest proportions of any county in Pennsylvania, with only Centre, Chester, Bucks and Montgomery counties either matching or coming below the 7% threshold.
Twelve months earlier, 15,833 Butler County residents were enrolled in SNAP — marking a nearly 10% decrease.
Statewide, the number of SNAP recipients has dropped to 1.74 million individuals as of June 2026, which is down 11% from 1.96 million a year earlier.
Brad Gulish of the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, which organizes food distribution programs for Butler County and other areas of the Pittsburgh region, said the declines in SNAP participation were greater than even they anticipated.
“We knew changes to SNAP eligibility requirements and administrative processes would likely reduce participation, but the scale of the decline has been concerning,” Gulish said. “While some decrease was anticipated as new rules took effect, the number of people losing access to benefits highlights how even modest policy changes can create significant barriers for families who are already struggling to make ends meet.”
Both Gulish and Cwalina say that the eligibility changes are only part of the reason for the sharp decline in numbers, as some previous cardholders are grappling with administrative hurdles in either retaining or reclaiming their benefits.
“Other individuals may have lost SNAP eligibility for other eligibility reasons not related to the work reporting requirements mandated by H.R.1, such as moving out of state, becoming income ineligible or otherwise failing to return other requested documentation,” Cwalina said.
“Changes affecting certain immigrant populations, adjustments to deductions and benefit calculations and stricter enforcement of work requirements have also created additional barriers,” Gulish said. “Even a temporary reduction in work hours or missed reporting deadlines can result in the loss of benefits and lengthy delays before assistance is restored. We often find that people lose benefits not because they no longer need help, but because navigating the system becomes more difficult.”
With fewer people able to rely on SNAP for low-cost food, more people have had to turn to food banks such as the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank for assistance. This was apparent last year when the SNAP program was briefly put on hold during the federal government’s record-long, 43-day shutdown, which resulted in a brief pause in distribution of SNAP benefits at the start of November.
“During the SNAP disruption in late 2025, visits to our on-site pantry The Market increased by 36.5%, and a November SNAP shutdown alone drove a 22% increase in demand across our network, a 43% increase at The Market and a 116% increase in calls for assistance,” Gulish said.
While the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and other food banks can fill a short-term need for hungry families, she said, they will not be enough to cover the loss of a program like SNAP.
“We have been able to meet the increased need, but only through significant effort and additional investment,” Gulish said. “The reality is that food banks can help fill gaps, but we cannot fully replace the purchasing power and reach of SNAP.
“SNAP is the nation's first line of defense against hunger, and charitable food assistance simply cannot replace its scale. Feeding America estimates that SNAP provides roughly nine meals for every one meal provided by the charitable food network.”
In addition, as part of H.R.1, states will now be on the hook for paying for more of the costs of SNAP benefits starting Oct. 1, 2027, for what was initially a program that was entirely federally funded. The amount that states will have to pay is dependent on each state’s “error rate” — the amount of food assistance that was either overpaid or underpaid. States with an error rate of 6% or higher are liable for 5% of SNAP benefit costs, a proportion that could increase with higher error rates.
The newest iteration of the Farm Bill is currently stalled in the Senate due to, among other issues, a proposed one-year delay to the cost-sharing requirement for states. The House already passed the bill in April.
“Congress has an opportunity to correct this threat to life-saving food assistance by using the Farm Bill renewal to ensure our most vulnerable can feed themselves and their families,” Cwalina said.
