Other people have covered this, but not just backlogged cases, I assume it isn’t easy for people undergoing hardships to reapply.

This is a way to remove/delay people for a while who were on SNAP through attrition.*

Kind of similar 2020 to when Trump slowed the COVID response because it was affecting democrat-led places first.

They are trying to “starve the beast” through intentional incompetence. Any means necessary.

* Hey, maybe some will even die, just like in 2020! Win/win for conservatives.