Report: Collier, Hillsborough lead region in food stamp participation decline

The amount of Floridians in the region on food stamps has fallen — in some counties significantly — in the first five months since new federal legislation was passed, according to a new analysis. 

The program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, was cut in HR 1, a federal l reconciliation bill enacted July 4, 2025. The goal was to cut $187 billion out of the program nationwide, officials said. 

The cuts have led to a 10% drop in Florida’s SNAP participation, or 277,513 people in the first five months, according to the Florida Policy Institute, an Orlando-based left-leaning policy, budget and economic mobility nonprofit. 

Collier County had the biggest drop of the nine counties in the region, at 13.9%, second in the state behind Monroe, in the Florida Keys, at 14.1%. 

“SNAP’s plummeting caseload is a blow to Florida,” the FPI report states. “Not only is the program the state’s most important tool in fighting hunger among Floridians with low income, but it is also an economic boon to local communities where people spend their benefits.” 

U.S.Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, in early May TV interviews, attributed the decrease to anti-fraud measures and an improving economy, according to an Associated Press report.