Federal funding reductions and changes in qualifications to the nation’s food stamp program could have what officials are calling profound impacts on Coloradans.

“This is huge. Our counties are very concerned about food insecurity in their communities, as are food banks. These are the same peeps (people) that are getting this double whammy with the impacts of Medicaid (losses),” Colorado Department of Human Services Director Michelle Barnes told the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council Wednesday.

The state could see federal dollars for the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, reduced by at least $50 million for administrative costs and another $160 million for its share of the state’s $1.5 billion annual grocery bill for low-income residents, Barnes said.

As of June, about 334,000 Colorado households that contain nearly 615,000 adults and children receive monthly SNAP benefits in the form of an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used at grocery stores, some restaurants and other places such as gas stations, according to Barnes’ department.

About 45,700 households and 86,700 residents in El Paso County are enrolled as of June, statistics show.

Under an overhaul included in the new federal spending bill that Congress approved July 3, some of the provisions of the program will be implemented Oct. 1.

Some people will immediately fall off the rolls as exemptions expire, including 4,000 refugees and asylum seekers, homeless people, veterans and kids who have aged out of foster care at 18. Any non-citizens, with some exceptions including green card holders, will not be able to access the system at all.

To maintain benefits as of Oct. 1, able-bodied recipients, including homeless people, must meet modified requirements that they work at least 20 hours a week, or volunteer in an approved role or go to school for that time.

Seniors older than age 54, adults who don’t have dependent children under age 14 (it’s currently age 18) and foster kids who age out of the system also are part of the category.

At this time, 12% — or about 75,000 — of Colorado SNAP enrollees work, Barnes said, adding that she expects the number to increase to 156,000 people. But some simply won’t be able to meet the expectations, she said.

“This work requirement is a big component,” she said. “Currently, you may be able to not work or volunteer or meet the requirements in certain demographic categories.”

The changes are being made to shrink the size and scope of the federal government, reduce the national debt and lessen fraud and abuse of the system, the Trump administration has said.

Barnes said there is “very little fraud in SNAP” — less than 1% of beneficiaries.

The modifications will be costly for Colorado, she said. In October 2026, the state will be required to up its share of administrative expenses from 50% to 75%, which is expected to boost the state’s payment by $50,000.

And the state’s share of paying for SNAP benefits is expected to increase to 10% of the $1.5 billion it receives, based on Colorado’s “payment error rate” of 9.97%. What the state will have to shoulder won’t be determined until next June though, and Barnes said her department is working with counties to reduce errors in processing applications to lower its payment rate.

Because fewer people are expected to meet the upgraded work qualifications, nonprofit leaders in the sector say those bumped out of the system will turn to other free food programs.

But federal cutbacks enacted in March and April already have affected regional distribution centers such as Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado, which translates into less purchasing power in buying food at cost, said President and CEO Nate Springer.

As a result, Care and Share has cut its budget by $1.35 million, he said.

The organization projects a loss of one-third of the 25 millions pounds of food that it’s been distributing to 290 partner agencies in southern Colorado, such as pantries.

“Our partner agencies are already seeing more people than they’ve ever seen,” Springer said. “Going forward, we’ll see less food in the system and more people will need it.”

The situation is worrisome, said Jane Barnes, president and CEO of Benefits in Action, who is not related to state DHS leader Michelle Barnes.

The nonprofit Benefits in Action contracts with the Colorado Department of Human Services to help people apply for public subsidies such as SNAP.

The organization’s offices, including the one in Colorado Springs, already are seeing more people asking for help with paying for food, Jane Barnes said.

“There’s also an increase in folks anxious about what’s going to happen and how they are going to manage,” she said.

“There are hungry families in every neighborhood — you might be surprised. And with housing, child care and transportation costs the way they are, food is something we can help people with that’s very cost-effective and really can make a difference for families and older adults on fixed incomes.”

Locally, El Paso County Department of Human Services is “still awaiting guidance from our state partners, who are in turn waiting for direction from the federal level,” said spokesman Paul Myers-Bennett.

In the meantime, the DHS office in Colorado Springs continues to determine eligibility for SNAP recipients based on current criteria, he said.

Michelle Barnes said her department is still waiting on guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fully proceed with plans to meet the new directives.