New Pima County memo reveals a massive drop in food assistance | Top Stories

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – Participation in the federal food assistance program, SNAP, has plummeted by 45 percent in Pima County between July 2025 and July 2026, according to a memo released by the county this week. 

The county’s latest update also shows drops in AHCCCS enrollment and those choosing Affordable Care Act Marketplace health insurance plans. 

Rachel Gallegos is a Pima County resident who told News 4 Tucson she still had SNAP but had it reduced to $53 per month this year after temporarily losing benefits for a few months.

“Everything’s more expensive, I’m lucky if a get a few (things) — milk, eggs, bread, stuff like that, so I’ve been going to the food banks,” Gallegos said.

The average amount of SNAP dollars issued to a household per month fell from $330.79 in July 2025 to $207.03 in July 2026. The money Pima County issued during that same time was roughly cut in half, dropping from $25,801,625 to $12,975,268.

Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz blamed the significant decrease in SNAP participation on new eligibility requirements introduced in the Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Trump signed into law in July 2025. The legislation includes phased changes from 2025 to 2032 that alter work rules and eligibility, including expanding work requirements for childless adults up to age 64.

“For God’s sake $300 a month is not that much money for a family of four or five people to feed themselves, come on, but yet we had to reduce the monthly benefit apparently,” Heinz said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that these work requirements are intended to promote workforce participation while maintaining support for those who need it most, with exemptions still applying for disability and caregiving situations.

Pima County officials noted in the memo that “the public data used here does not include closure reasons or case-level evidence. The decline,therefore, cannot be attributed solely to H.R. 1.”

Gallegos told News 4 Tucson she can no longer survive on SNAP benefits alone and now uses local food banks.

“I’ve learned to accommodate myself and you know, but it’s hard, sometimes it’s hard,” she said.

Gallegos said she would like to see the SNAP benefit amounts go up, particularly for single parents with children.