The Waterbury Times|CT Urban Affairs|Nov 6, 2026

HARTFORD, CT — One year ago, Connecticut residents who depended on federal food assistance faced the possibility of going without their November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as the federal government shutdown disrupted funding.

Gov. Lamont Orders Full SNAP Funding Through November for Connecticut Residents

Gov. Ned Lamont responded by authorizing state resources to protect food assistance for hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents.

The immediate crisis was resolved. But one year later, the broader picture is considerably more troubling.

New research released in 2026 shows that Connecticut has experienced a substantial decline in SNAP enrollment, with nearly 63,000 residents losing access to federal food assistance over the past year.

For communities like Waterbury, where household budgets are already under pressure, the consequences extend beyond the loss of an individual benefit.

Looking back: The November 2025 funding crisis

On October 27, 2025, Lamont announced $3 million in emergency state funding for Connecticut Foodshare as the federal shutdown threatened November SNAP payments.

CT Funds SNAP Benefits — Payments Now on EBT Cards

At the time, approximately 360,000 Connecticut residents depended on the program.

The federal government had indicated that it would not use its contingency funds to cover November benefits, leaving families, seniors, children and people with disabilities facing uncertainty about their next grocery purchase.

The initial $3 million allocation was intended to help food banks and community organizations address the immediate need, although it was not enough to replace the full monthly SNAP distribution.

On November 7, Lamont announced that eligible Connecticut households would receive their full November benefits.

The governor authorized state funding as a contingency measure while a federal court order directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide full benefits.

At the time, Connecticut Public reported that the state distributed approximately $72 million in SNAP benefits each month.

The immediate interruption was addressed, but the larger challenges facing the program continued.

Nearly 63,000 Connecticut residents lost access

A report released by Connecticut Voices for Children in August 2026 documented the scale of the enrollment decline.

According to the research, 62,770 Connecticut residents lost access to SNAP during the first year following the passage of federal legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025.

That represents approximately 17% of the state’s SNAP caseload before the legislation.

The decline was roughly twice the reduction state officials had initially projected.

Researchers also estimated that the reduction in SNAP assistance resulted in approximately $155 million in lost economic activity across Connecticut over the year.

The findings suggest that the impact reaches beyond households receiving benefits. SNAP dollars are spent at grocery stores and other food retailers, supporting businesses and local economies.

Waterbury among the communities facing significant losses

The impact has not been distributed evenly across Connecticut.

According to reporting by CT Mirror on the Connecticut Voices for Children study, seven municipalities accounted for approximately half of the residents who lost SNAP access:

• Hartford
• Waterbury
• New Haven
• Bridgeport
• New Britain
• Meriden
• East Hartford

These communities include some of the state’s largest concentrations of lower-income households.

A separate September 2026 analysis by DataHaven found that Connecticut SNAP enrollment declined from approximately 363,000 people in June 2025 to 308,000 in June 2026.

That represents a 15% decline, or approximately 55,000 fewer participants.

DataHaven also found that adults ages 18 to 54 experienced a 23% enrollment decline, while participation among children decreased by 15%.

The report identified expanded federal work requirements and additional administrative burdens as important factors in the reduction.

Changes to eligibility and work requirements

The federal legislation introduced significant changes to SNAP eligibility.

Beginning November 2, 2025, expanded work requirements affected certain adults between 18 and 64 who do not live with a child under 14 and do not qualify for an exemption.

Those affected generally must document at least 80 hours per month of employment, qualifying job training, volunteering or a combination of activities to maintain benefits beyond the three-month time limit within a 36-month period.

The legislation also expanded requirements to additional groups, including some older adults and parents with older children, while narrowing certain exemptions.

These changes created additional requirements for recipients and increased the administrative responsibilities facing state agencies.

Connecticut’s Department of Social Services has provided information to recipients about the new rules, but the enrollment data show the scale of the changes.

Food insecurity remains a statewide concern

The loss of SNAP coverage is occurring alongside growing food insecurity.

Connecticut Foodshare’s 2026 Map the Meal Gap report, using underlying 2024 data, estimated that 15.3% of Connecticut residents experience food insecurity.

That represents more than 560,000 people, including more than 137,000 children.

The organization reported a 7% increase in food insecurity compared with the previous year’s estimate.

Connecticut Foodshare operates a statewide network of more than 450 agency partners, including food pantries, community kitchens and shelters, along with more than 100 mobile food pantry locations.

The organization has emphasized that charitable food assistance cannot independently address the scale of the problem.

So, has Connecticut recovered?

The answer depends on which crisis we’re measuring.

The immediate November 2025 interruption in SNAP payments was addressed. Eligible recipients received their full November benefits, and the state avoided the prolonged interruption that had initially threatened households.

But the underlying food assistance crisis has not been resolved.

Nearly 63,000 fewer Connecticut residents had access to SNAP one year after the federal legislation was enacted. Food insecurity remains widespread, and communities such as Waterbury are among those experiencing substantial enrollment losses.

The November 2025 emergency was about whether families would receive their next monthly payment.

The November 2026 question is considerably broader: How many families who once depended on SNAP are still receiving assistance, and what happens to those who no longer qualify or cannot navigate the new requirements?

For Connecticut, restoring the regular flow of benefits was only one part of the challenge.

Ensuring that residents who need food assistance can continue to access it remains an unresolved issue.

The Waterbury Times-

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