Last updated: October 13, 2026
Information from the 2026 Washington Food Coalition Conference:
About 920,000 Washington residents receive food assistance each month. Nearly half are children, older adults, or people with disabilities, and 20% of adult recipients are working. Federal changes put 131,000 people at risk of losing benefits if they cannot meet new work requirements, while about 30,000 lawful immigrants each month are expected to lose federal SNAP eligibility and move to state-funded food assistance. These changes will also raise food costs for affected households and increase pressure on food banks and other community services.
Expanded work requirements now affect many adults ages 18–64 without a child under 14 in the household. People who do not meet an exemption or document required work or qualifying activities may receive benefits for only three months in a 36-month period.
Some households may receive a smaller benefit because Washington can no longer apply the highest utility deduction through energy-assistance participation when the household does not include an older adult or person with a disability.
Even modest reductions matter: Washington reports an average SNAP benefit of about $10.60 per household per day. Lost or reduced benefits can mean fewer groceries late in the month and more visits to emergency food providers.
SNAP was designed as a federal-state partnership in which food benefits were federally funded and administrative costs were shared equally. Federal changes now require Washington to fund 75% of SNAP administration beginning October 1, 2026, an increase the state estimates at more than $60 million per year. Beginning October 1, 2027, states must also pay 5%–15% of benefit costs when payment error rates exceed federal thresholds; Washington currently anticipates at least a 5% share. The state is also using state funds to maintain food assistance for some immigrants who are no longer federally eligible. These shifts force Washington to choose between increasing state spending and risking slower service, reduced access, or added pressure on food banks and other safety-net programs.
King County expects about 4,000 lawfully present residents—including some refugees, people granted asylum, and survivors of human trafficking—to lose federally funded Medicaid eligibility beginning October 1, 2026.
Beginning January 1, 2027, work or community-engagement requirements and eligibility renewals every six months will affect an Apple Health coverage group that includes about 215,000 King County residents. These added steps increase the chance that eligible people lose coverage because of paperwork, reporting, or changes in work hours.
Shorter retroactive coverage may leave residents with more unpaid medical bills, while reduced Medicaid funding can strain Harborview, public-health clinics, behavioral-health services, long-term care, and the health-care workforce.
These changes are likely to increase demand for food assistance and resource navigation. Residents losing food benefits may need more groceries, while those losing health coverage may divert limited income to prescriptions and medical care. Advocacy should focus on protecting access to SNAP and Apple Health, reducing administrative barriers, funding local safety-net providers, and ensuring residents receive clear, timely help to maintain every benefit for which they remain eligible.
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In Washington’s 2024 general election, 1,056,051 registered voters—about 21%—did not cast a ballot, based on 5,017,620 registered voters and 3,961,569 ballots counted. Source: Washington Secretary of State. Some of those elections were decided by 4 votes. Your vote does matter.
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Federal legislators: Use the U.S. House “Find Your Representative” tool with your ZIP code to locate your representative and contact page. Use the U.S. Senate contact directory to find Washington’s two U.S. senators, their phone numbers, and online contact forms.
Source: WA DSHS H.R. 1 Impact to Food Assistance. Additional references: King County Board of Health; Washington Office of Financial Management; Washington State Health Care Authority.
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