HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Millions of people across the country who rely on SNAP benefits are seeing changes to the federal food assistance program.

Starting Oct.1, monthly benefits increased to account for inflation, but enrollment is already down in the Houston area, and new rules change who qualifies.

Katherine Byers with the Houston Food Bank says families received their new inflation bump on Thursday, but it’s still a minimal monthly budget.

“On average, it’s about $19 for the average family of four. And it doesn’t account for the costs that are really driving food insecurity, such as housing, transportation, utilities,” Katherine Byers, Houston Food Bank Senior Director of Public Policy and Community Impact, said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is changing maximum allotments by $8 for a single-family household from $298 to $306 per month.

For a family of four, the max is going from $994 to $1,023 per month for a $29 change.

On top of that, Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole spoke out this week about how the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” changes administrative costs for this imperative program, with more falling on Texas from 50% to 75%.

“That additional 25% is estimated to cost our state about $117 million every year. The bigger risk to shift the benefit cost to states comes next,” Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole said.

Enrollment for SNAP is already low across the Houston area.

A Kinder Institute study from earlier this year found nearly 155,000 fewer people across the nine counties in the Houston area were approved to receive SNAP benefits — between June 2025 and June 2026– for about an 18% drop.

Byers said they are seeing the impacts at the Houston Food Bank.

“We can see the results of the affordability crisis. And many of these families were already struggling. They were already on the edge when either their SNAP benefits were cut, or their food costs rose so dramatically that they just weren’t able to keep up with that plus their other expenses,” Byers said.

Byers said there are resources available here.

Thursday, the new SNAP guidelines also tightened work requirements for some recipients.

ABC News reports that, under the law, non-disabled adults without dependents between 18 and 64 years old must now meet the work requirements, up from 54 years old previously.

Meanwhile, parents with children 14 years old and older no longer qualify for an exemption from the work requirements.

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