The report, compiled by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, found an estimated 4 million people nationwide were removed from SNAP between July 2025 and April 2026. According to the analysis, every state but one experienced a decline in enrollment during that period.
"We just finished our fiscal year on June 30th. We're averaging just 3,000 families a month, and averaging just under 12,000 people a month," said Kelly Rappl, Program Director at Catholic Parish Outreach Food Pantry in Raleigh.
Rappl said that represents a 10% increase from the previous fiscal year.
"We are very cognizant that even though we give a week's worth of groceries, it does not mean that our clients may not need to go to others pantries in the same month," she said, noting clients are able to receive food from their distribution site once a month.
While Rappl explained they do not ask clients the reason they are seeking assistance, the increase coincides with new federal SNAP eligibility requirements.
Changes raised the upper age limit for work requirements from 54 years old to 64 years old for able-bodied adults without dependents and lowered a previous exemption for parents and other family members with responsibility for a dependent under 18 years old to only those with dependents under 14 years old.
"There's many factors out there, including inflation and cuts to benefits that are definitely driving the need for them to come in," Rappl shared.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP enrollment in North Carolina fell 12.2% between July 2025 and April 2026, a decline similar to those seen in neighboring states.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported last month that the national SNAP payment error rate was 10.62%, slightly lower than the previous year but still above the congressional threshold of 6%. The error rate is used to help determine eligibility and benefit amounts.
"These payment error rates are further proof that state accountability is severely lacking in SNAP," said Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins in a press release. "USDA has taken historic action to help interested states curb SNAP waste, and I hope other states, regardless of political leadership, prioritize needy families and the American taxpayer over politics."
Despite the enrollment declines, advocates and former recipients say the program remains an essential resource for many families.
Kayla Lawson, a former SNAP recipient who now supports her family through a job, said the benefits provided critical stability during a difficult period.
"It makes you feel more secure having something to fall back on," Lawson said. "You're not having to worry about choosing between your living situation and groceries."
Lawson also pushed back against perceptions about the program and its recipients.
"There's a huge misconception. The majority of people are all working hard and just trying to make it like everybody else. Everyone deserves to have food, and I'm not mad at my tax dollars going towards funding families to have food," Lawson shared.
Rappl said demand for services shows little sign of slowing.
"We would love to be able to say we're going to work ourselves out of a job," Rappl said. "But I've been doing this for 17 years and I have not been able to do that yet, and I don't see it happening any time in the near future."