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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says about 80,000 residents have lost access to SNAP benefits following federal changes to the program. The state count includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors; the specific reasons behind individual losses and the federal government’s response were not detailed in the report.
About 80,000 Kentuckians have lost access to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under federal rule 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, and asked federal officials to act.
Beshear’s figures mark a decline in SNAP participation in Kentucky. Just under 547,000 people were receiving assistance, according to the governor, compared with 627,164 in October 2025. State data cited in the report show that SNAP currently serves 286,921 Kentucky households.
Kentucky households receiving SNAP get an average of $346 per month, according to state data. The report did not break down the estimated 80,000 losses by the specific federal rule or explain how many people lost benefits for each reason.
The federal changes were part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a broad 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 work requirements to receive SNAP for themselves and their families.
Kentucky Families Losing Monthly Food Aid
The reported decline could affect household food budgets across the state. The $346 monthly average offers a measure of the assistance households receive, though it does not show what any particular family lost or how its food needs are being met now.
Children make up a substantial part of the group Beshear identified. He also warned that children could lose access to school meals and summer food programs, but the source report does not provide numbers showing how many children have lost those services or establish that the federal SNAP changes directly end their eligibility for them.
Beshear’s letter puts pressure on federal officials to address the consequences of the rule changes. The reported participation figures also provide state-level evidence of a decline, but do not by themselves establish why each person’s benefits stopped.
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Federal Work-Rule Changes in 2025
The SNAP changes described in the report followed passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025. Under the rules cited by The 74, some groups that had been exempt from work requirements—including veterans, people experiencing homelessness, recent foster care youth and adults ages 54 to 64—lost those exemptions beginning in November.
SNAP is a federal food-benefit program administered in partnership with states. The Kentucky figures in the report come from state data and statements by Beshear. They describe current participation and a comparison with October 2025; the report does not provide a detailed month-by-month timeline of benefit losses.
“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
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Details Behind Benefit Losses
The report does not identify how many people lost benefits specifically because of work requirements, as opposed to other eligibility or administrative factors. It also does not give individual case details, the precise period over which all 80,000 losses occurred, or information about appeals and reinstatements.
The 80,000 figure is presented as Beshear’s estimate, and the report does not include a federal accounting or response from the Agriculture Department. It is also unclear whether participation will continue to fall or how the reported changes affect food access for households beyond the SNAP figures.
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Federal Response and Updated Counts
Beshear has asked Secretary Brooke Rollins and Kentucky’s congressional delegation to take action. The source report does not say whether they have replied or describe a specific policy remedy, hearing or deadline that will follow.
Further reporting could clarify the federal government’s response, the reasons benefits ended for individual recipients and whether Kentucky’s participation count changes. The report said it may be updated, but did not give a schedule for new figures.
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Key Questions
How many Kentuckians have reportedly lost access to SNAP?
About 80,000, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. The report does not include a separate federal count.
How many children and seniors are included in the estimate?
Beshear said the total includes 24,655 children and 6,572 seniors.
What federal changes are linked to the reported losses?
The report links the changes to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed in 2025. It says several groups lost exemptions from SNAP work requirements beginning last November. It does not specify how many of the reported losses resulted directly from those requirements.
How many people currently receive SNAP in Kentucky?
Beshear said just under 547,000 individuals were receiving assistance, down from 627,164 in October 2025. State data cited in the report show benefits are provided to 286,921 households.
Has the federal government responded to Beshear’s request?
The report does not include a response from the Agriculture Department or the congressional delegation. It is not clear whether federal officials will take action.
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