Republican cuts to the federal food stamp program could put millions of people at risk of losing benefits, which would make it harder for them to afford groceries. But the changes could have further consequences, as the reductions squeeze small grocery stores that depend on those customers.

Grocers and food policy researchers have warned that cuts to the food stamp program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, could result in stores laying off workers, raising prices or shuttering entirely as their revenues drop. That has spurred concerns that the cuts could hit local economies and lead to the loss of grocery stores in rural counties that already have few food retailers.

The domestic policy bill that President Trump signed last month imposes stricter work requirements on food stamp recipients, applying them to able-bodied adults through age 64. The law also subjects parents with children 14 and older to the mandate. Previously, adults up to age 54 were subject and people with dependents were exempt. The law also shifts some program costs to states, making them pay more administrative costs and a portion of the benefits for the first time unless they maintain lower payment error rates.

Several states have said the changes will put hundreds of thousands of households at risk of losing some or all of their SNAP benefits. Some states, including Pennsylvania, have questioned whether they can continue operating the program if they cannot shoulder the extra costs of providing benefits.

Republicans say the changes will help reduce dependence on federal benefits and ensure that SNAP serves the neediest families. They have also said the changes would hold states better accountable.

But the measures have alarmed some researchers who say they could make it harder for small grocers to stay in business, particularly in rural areas that are more likely to have both higher shares of SNAP participants and lower access to food retailers. Roughly 27,000 food retailers that largely operate in rural counties face the highest risks from the cuts, according to an analysis from the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.