Why did my food stamps decrease?
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If you’ve received a notice that your monthly food stamp amount (also called SNAP benefits) has decreased, there are a few reasons why this may be happening. It could be due to changes you’ve reported (household income, household size, work status), discontinuation of specific programs, or due to an error.
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Why food stamps decrease#why-food-stamps-decrease
Your SNAP benefit amount may have decreased due to one or all of the following reasons.
Certification updates#certification-updates
If you recently recertified SNAP benefits or submitted a mid-certification report, you may see a change in your food stamps. That could be due to a reported change in:
- Income: If you report an increase in wages, you may receive fewer benefits, or they may stop if you’re over the income limit for your state.
- Household size: If someone moves in or out of your household, the amount you receive may change.
- Monthly expenses: If there are changes in your housing costs, childcare costs or child support payments, or medical expenses, it may affect your SNAP benefit amount.
Work requirements#work-requirements
Some SNAP recipients must meet federal work requirements to keep their benefits. There are two categories of work requirements: general work requirements and Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) requirements.
The ABAWD rules recently changed and more people will have to work or find an exemption in order to keep benefits without a time limit. If your circumstances change and you can no longer meet these requirements, your access to benefits may be limited to 3 months in a 3-year period, after which you could lose benefits.
For example, if someone must meet the ABAWD work rules, they must volunteer or participate in a training program (or a combination) for an average of 80 hours per month.
Termination of temporary policies#termination-of-temporary-policies
You may see your food stamps decrease when a temporary state or federal program ends.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some SNAP recipients saw their monthly benefits temporarily increase in response to economic uncertainty and stay-at-home mandates. But these recipients also saw their food stamps decrease later, because the policy expired.
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill was passed and included some changes to eligibility rules for SNAP, like who could access the Standard Utility Allowance. This change in Federal policy was implemented in late 2025, and meant that hundreds of thousands of SNAP households would see their benefits decrease and tens of thousands of households would no longer be eligible for benefits.
Errors or missing information#errors-or-missing-information
Sometimes, a decrease in benefits can be due to an error or missing paperwork.
If you miss your SNAP benefits renewal interview or if you don’t submit the renewal paperwork and verifications by the due date, your benefits could stop.
Some of this information is required, like proof of income or household size, while other information like childcare costs or medical expenses can help to increase benefit allotments. Submitting updated verifications for childcare, housing expenses, medical expenses, and others during the mid-period or renewal report can make it so that benefits don’t get reduced for the next benefits cycle.
There’s also a chance your state benefits office made an incorrect calculation, or didn’t have all the expense verifications required to make the correct calculation. During regular audits, the benefits office may find that due to an incorrect calculation, your household is receiving the wrong benefit amount and will take action to reduce the monthly allotment to the correct amount. You would receive a notice from the benefits office prior to any change to your benefits case.
What to do if your food stamps decrease#what-to-do-if-your-food-stamps-decrease
If your food stamps decrease, here’s what to do next.
- Review your Notice of Decision letter: This letter will typically come through the mail. In addition to letting you know that your benefits have been reduced, the benefits office will often include the reason why. This may be listed as a code or written out with an explanation.
- Provide missing information (if applicable): Your notice may include a list of missing information and a deadline to submit verifications. If that’s the case, follow the letter’s directions on how to respond, sending the paperwork to the proper address or online portal.
- Report any expenses you may have missed (if applicable): If your benefits office doesn’t have a full picture of your finances, report any expenses you may have initially missed.
- Contact your local SNAP office for more information: If your notice just has a numerical code, or you don’t understand what to do next, reach out to your local SNAP office for support.
How do I file a SNAP appeal?#how-do-i-file-a-snap-appeal
You have the right to file a SNAP appeal if you disagree with the decision to decrease benefits (or any decision about your benefits). The Notice of Decision letter will include information on how to do this, including a deadline for appeal or response. These policies vary by state, but typically follow a similar structure.
- File an appeal: You typically have up to 90 days from the date on your notice to file an appeal (also known as a fair hearing). The exact deadline will be listed in your notice. Appeals can be filed over the phone, in person, in writing, or even online in some states. A fair hearing is a formal review by an impartial third party, like an administrative law judge, that will look at all the information provided by the household and the benefits office and make their decision based on this information. You may be provided more time to provide extra verifications.
- Request an agency conference: You have the right to an agency conference, an informal review of your appeal during which mistakes or errors in your benefits can be cleared up faster. This is optional, and does not replace your right to a formal fair hearing, nor does it impact your ability to get a formal appeal.
If you choose to take part in an agency conference, you can also schedule a formal appeal later to protect your deadline.
In some cases, you can continue receiving benefits at your previous level if you request a hearing before the change takes effect.
If the judge determines that the decision to decrease or discontinue your benefits was correct, you may have to repay any of the extra benefits you received in the time you were waiting for the hearing.
If you receive a notice that your food stamps are decreasing, don’t panic. Review the information for errors, consider an appeal, and reach out to your local benefits office for assistance and clarification. You can always ask for support from a local legal aid society to review the benefits decrease/discontinuation decision, to file an appeal, and for support during the hearing.
