DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas — More than 500,000 Texans have lost access to food assistance under new federal work requirements that took effect this year, forcing families to turn to already-strained local food banks and pantries across North Texas.
The changes stem from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1), passed in 2025, which expanded work requirements to populations previously exempt from them — including adults ages 60 to 64 and parents with children. Under the new rules, if an individual fails to work for more than three months, they are cut off from food assistance entirely.
"Primarily HR-1 created new work requirements for new populations. So now adults 60 to 64 have to be working in order to get benefits. If they fail to work for more than three months, they're cut off from food assistance, and the same is true for parents with kids. So, the concern is those populations are struggling to meet the new requirements."
The impact is already visible at local distribution events. A recent food giveaway at UNT Dallas distributed 22,000 pounds of food to approximately 1,000 people, and organizers confirmed demand has risen noticeably over the past several months. Food pantries and community giveaways across the DFW metroplex are reporting a steady uptick in usage.
Texas is also facing a separate financial pressure: starting next year, the state will be required to cover a share of SNAP costs based on its rate of inaccurate benefit payouts. The state's current error rate would trigger a bill of more than $700 million. State lawmakers are already appealing to Congress to delay the cost-share program.
Celina, a fast-growing city of about 35,000 in northwest Collin County, is approximately 45 miles north of Dallas. As one of the fastest-growing small cities in Texas, its rapid population increase has brought more families who may be affected by changes to food assistance eligibility.
