Thousands of Coloradans face SNAP cuts under Trump's new law
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Around 27,000 Coloradans are at risk of losing at least some food assistance due to President Trump's newly signed megabill, per estimates from the left-leaning Center on Policy and Budget Priorities.
Why it matters: It's a historic cut to the social safety net, which Republicans claim will weed out waste, fraud and abuse. But experts warn the move could leave more people hungry and uninsured.
The big picture: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often called food stamps, helps low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities buy groceries.
By the numbers: More than 617,000 Coloradans, about 10% of the state, were enrolled in SNAP as of March 2025, per federal data.
- In Denver, nearly 119,000 people receive the benefits, according to the city.
- About 43% of Colorado SNAP households have children, Feeding America figures show.
What they're saying: Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and local advocates say the funding cuts will be devastating for local families and strain an already-stressed state budget.
- "We are deeply concerned about the impact this bill will have on people dealing with food insecurity," Denver Human Services spokesperson Daniel Hernandez told Axios Denver in a statement.
- "[E]specially the parents struggling to afford groceries and adults in their 60s who are jobless [and] must now meet strict work requirements in order to receive food assistance," he said.
The other side: Colorado's four Republican U.S. House members — Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, Gabe Evans and Jeff Hurd — all backed Trump's bill, including the SNAP cuts.
How it works: Trump's law doesn't just slash funding — it rewrites the rules.
- Parents of children 14 or older must now work at least 20 hours a week to keep benefits.
- The new policy also bumps the work requirement age up to 64. It was 54.
What's next: Each Colorado county's human services department determines SNAP eligibility. In Denver, officials are scrambling to understand the fallout.
- "We're closely analyzing the full scope of the changes … to determine the impact to our services and how we'll adapt," Hernandez told Axios Denver.
- Denver Human Services is also preparing fact sheets to help current recipients understand the effects of "the big, beautiful bill."