By Melissa Patrick, Kentucky Health News · June 29, 2026 About one in 14 Kentuckians who rely on food assistance have lost their benefits since the implementation of House Resolution 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” according to the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. Jessica Klein, senio r policy associate at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, said it amounts to about 42,000 people out of roughly 600,000. Klein stressed that the effect of so many people losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits cannot be underestimated. She noted SNAP provides nine meals for every one meal provided by a food bank. “When people lose their grocery money through SNAP, that puts huge amounts of pressure on food banks and churches that try to fill the gap, and the answer is that they can’t fill that gap,” Klein explained. The legislation eliminated eligibility for many lawfully present immigrants in Kentucky and put stricter work reporting requirements in place. Klein noted that SNAP data is used to qualify people for other federal programs, meaning school nutrition funding could also be at risk. She expects years of consequences for local economies, workers and retailers in Kentucky. “We know that SNAP improves health,” Klein asserted. “Without SNAP, that means higher costs for our health care system. And SNAP is also a generator for local economies.” The latest version of a 2026 Farm Bill from U.S. Senate lawmakers continues to shift SNAP costs to states. Klein added that beginning in 2027 or 2028, Kentucky and other states will be required to examine their error rates to determine how much they have to pay to continue administering the SNAP program. View in feeds The post Report: More than 40,000 Kentuckians have recently lost SNAP benefits appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less