Arizona SNAP Recipients See 52% Drop in Benefits After Federal Overhaul
Federal changes to the food assistance program have led to the steepest decline in enrollment in the nation, while card theft continues to drain individual accounts.
By Yasmin Nasser ·
The number of people receiving food assistance in Arizona has fallen by 52 percent.
That figure represents the steepest drop in the nation following a federal overhaul of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, implemented last summer. The changes introduced new work requirements and shifted more costs to state agencies. Officials said the reforms aimed to reduce fraud, which they estimate accounts for less than 1 percent of all benefits, or roughly $64 million.
The sharp decline in enrollment did not stem from removing ineligible recipients. Instead, many applicants faced unanswered phone calls and stricter documentation demands. Many lost access to funds due to technicalities rather than a lack of qualification. The government’s efforts to limit fraud have left many households without food, while the theft of benefits continues.
Carla Brambila experienced this theft on October 4. She is a 32-year-old single mother of five living in a two-bedroom apartment in Phoenix. Brambila has been on disability since a car accident in 2019 injured her spine. She receives $1,023 monthly in SNAP benefits. When she checked her account that morning, she found only $3 remaining.
"Somebody used my card to order online," Brambila said. "And they used all my benefits." She suspects thieves stole her card information, a problem she has heard others in her family face. SNAP cards use magnetic strips rather than the microchips found in modern debit cards. Criminals can skim these cards at grocery store readers to clone the data.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General found that $233 million in SNAP benefits may have been lost to electronic theft in the last two years. A ProPublica investigation estimates that $470 million was stolen from beneficiaries in 2025. Eight states currently use microchipped cards, and six are in a pilot program. Arizona has not yet adopted the new technology.
Brambila visited the Arizona Department of Economic Security, the agency that administers SNAP. Staff issued her a new card but did not restore the funds for that month. She turned to local nonprofits for support. She visited two food pantries and received nightly dinners from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in South Phoenix. Her children had to eat most of the donated fruit, vegetables, bread, and canned goods during the week because schools sent students home for fall break.
Brambila’s mother has helped cover additional costs, purchasing about $150 in groceries last week. Brambila describes her mother as her backbone. "It's just really difficult. I wish the government could do better," Brambila said. "They know we struggle, but they don't want to provide more help for us."
