SNAP enrollment drops sharply in Maryland; some say staffing shortages, policy shifts partially to blame

Nearly one in five Marylanders participating in a federal food assistance program dropped from the rolls between March and May, according to online Maryland Department of Human Services data. The sharp decline in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which used to be called food stamps, happened months after the state in January partially revived federally required eligibility check-ins, also called recertifications or redeterminations, which were paused during the pandemic, and just as food prices soared due to record inflation.