Nevada to be hit hard by SNAP cuts

As SNAP cuts loom, rising unemployment rates could drive up food support demands, highlighting a stark divide between federal policies and local needs.

Hundreds of thousands of Nevadans, including children, are at risk of losing food support amid federal rollbacks by the Trump Administration. That includes an $186 billion reduction from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, over the next 10 years.

The changes stem from social service reforms pushed by congressional Republicans on behalf of President Donald Trump, which were enshrined through the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) this summer. 

SNAP cuts come as Nevada’s food insecurity remains high among the states, with the federal government paying nearly $100 billion in food stamps last year, including to 505,000 Nevadans. Families with children made up more than 62% of state recipients.

In 2024, 1 in 6 Nevadans, or 15% of the population, relied on SNAP benefits, compared to 1 in 8, or 12% of neighboring Arizonans. Nevada exceeded the national rate of SNAP use, while Arizona mirrors the rest of the nation, as reported by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 

The needs align with rising unemployment nationwide, with Nevada leading the list since 2022, currently at a 5.4% joblessness rate. Joblessness is a factor that typically leads to increased food support demand, according to food assistance policy experts.

States are bracing for the changes as OBBBA provisions take effect, including work requirements. These requirements alone could result in an estimated 80,000 Nevadans losing all or some of their food assistance.

The time limit waiver for able-bodied adults without dependents who reside in areas with a high unemployment rate was also removed, but Nevada has temporarily extended it until Jan. 31, 2026.

Those experiencing homelessness, veterans, and foster care youth who were exempt from previous work requirement rules are no longer waived under the new provisions.