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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says about 80,000 residents have lost access to SNAP benefits following federal program changes. The figure includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors; state data show the number of Kentuckians receiving SNAP has fallen from 627,164 in October 2025 to just under 547,000.
About 80,000 Kentuckians have lost access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under recent federal changes, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Kentucky’s congressional delegation. Beshear said the affected group includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors, making the reported decline a concern for households that rely on food assistance.
Beshear asked federal officials to act, saying in his letter that the changes had left people without benefits. The figure of about 80,000 people is the governor’s account; the source report does not provide a separate federal count or a detailed breakdown of how many people lost eligibility under each rule.
Kentucky state data show that 286,921 households currently receive SNAP. Those households get an average of $346 per month, according to the state. Beshear said just under 547,000 individuals were receiving assistance, compared with 627,164 in October 2025.
The changes at issue were made through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a federal budget law passed by Congress in 2025. The report says that, beginning last November, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, recent foster care youth and adults ages 54 to 64 were no longer exempt from SNAP work requirements. The source does not state that everyone in those categories lost benefits; it says they became subject to requirements that previously did not apply to them.
How SNAP Losses Affect Kentucky Families
SNAP provides monthly food assistance to eligible households, so losing access can mean less money available for groceries. The state-reported average benefit of $346 per household each month gives a sense of the assistance involved, although individual benefit amounts vary and the source does not specify the amounts lost by affected households.
The reported inclusion of children and seniors has particular relevance because these groups may have limited ability to replace food assistance through work. Beshear also warned that children could lose access to school meals and summer programs, but the report does not establish that those programs have ended or that every affected child will lose them. His warning points to a possible wider effect on food access that remains to be documented.
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Federal Work Rules Behind the Decline
The federal law passed in 2025 changed SNAP rules, including which groups were exempt from work requirements. According to the report, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, recent foster care youth and adults ages 54 to 64 lost those exemptions last November. The practical effect depends on individual circumstances and program rules; the source does not detail each recipient’s eligibility review or the reasons benefits ended.
Kentucky’s figures provide a snapshot of participation rather than a complete explanation of the decline. The number receiving assistance was reported at 627,164 in October 2025 and just under 547,000 at the time of Beshear’s letter. The report does not provide monthly figures between those dates or establish how much of the change was caused by the federal law, as opposed to other factors.
“We should be fighting hunger, not causing it; yet the President’s cruel and unnecessary changes to SNAP are causing more than 80,000 Kentuckians – and millions of Americans across our country – to face hunger.”
— Gov. Andy Beshear, in a statement
What the Available Figures Do Not Show
The report does not identify the exact date of Beshear’s letter, provide a recipient-by-recipient account, or explain how the state arrived at the estimate that about 80,000 people lost access. It also does not say how many people regained benefits, appealed decisions or remain at risk of losing them.
The statewide participation figures show a decline between October 2025 and the time of the letter, but the source does not establish that federal rule changes alone explain the entire difference. The extent to which the new requirements affect particular groups, and whether the reported reduction will continue, is not clear from the available information.
Federal Response and Updated Counts
Beshear has asked Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Kentucky’s congressional delegation to take action. The source report does not say whether they have responded or identify a specific federal remedy under consideration. Further updates would be needed to confirm any policy response and clarify how the state’s SNAP caseload changes.
The report may be updated as more information becomes available. The next useful details would include a dated state breakdown of benefit losses, the reasons recipients lost access, and any response from federal officials or lawmakers.
Key Questions
How many Kentuckians have lost access to SNAP?
Gov. Andy Beshear said about 80,000 Kentuckians have lost access under federal changes. The source does not provide an independent federal count.
How many children and seniors are included?
Beshear said the reported group includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors.
What federal changes are involved?
The report links the losses to changes in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including an end to certain work-requirement exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, recent foster care youth and adults ages 54 to 64.
How much SNAP assistance do Kentucky households receive on average?
Kentucky state data cited in the report put the average at $346 per household each month. Individual benefits may differ.
Has the federal government responded to Beshear?
The source report does not describe a response from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins or Kentucky’s congressional delegation. It is not clear whether they have replied.
Source: rss
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