More than 100,000 fewer Virginians are receiving SNAP benefits than last year, according to data released by the Virginia Department of Social Services.
The agency’s latest numbers from June 2026 confirm fewer than 750,000 Virginians are enrolled, down from more than 850,000 people the previous year. It cut nearly $200 billion in food assistance funds, put funding costs onto states, and increased restrictions and work requirements on recipients.
Rodrigo Soto, legislative and campaigns director for the advocacy group the Commonwealth Institute, said the drop does not mean people are less hungry; it means people have been pushed out due to bureaucratic burdens.
“As the administration continues to make public benefits more difficult for people to access, that doesn’t take away the fact that hunger still exists. It just means people are hungry and not getting benefits at the same time,” Soto explained.
The Trump administration argued work requirements help encourage workforce participation, cut down on federal spending, and promote state accountability.
Virginia lawmakers allocated more than $200 million toward the new requirements, a move Soto noted takes money away from other major priorities of state residents.
“Whether or not you’re on SNAP, this impacts you. Because if you care about your schools, if you care about your roads, if you care about your healthcare, there (were) less funds this year in the state budget to be able to invest in those things because we had to catch up on those mandatory SNAP cost shifts,” Soto emphasized.
Adults up to the age of 64 without children have to work or volunteer 80 hours a month to receive benefits. People can apply for certain exemptions, such as if a person is pregnant or has a condition keeping them from working.
Virginia lawmakers passed a budget including $200 million in cost-sharing for its SNAP program. (Adobe Stock)
