NEW YORK — Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers could face losing their food stamp benefits as soon as November, following a surprise move by the Trump administration to accelerate work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
In July, President Trump signed a law that enacted over $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. The legislation had planned to phase in stricter work rules next year, but the federal agency overseeing SNAP has now ended waivers early, forcing states like New York to implement work requirements weeks ahead of schedule.
Under these rules, recipients are limited to three months of SNAP benefits over three years unless they prove they are working, volunteering, or studying at least 80 hours per month. Previously, New York’s waiver would have allowed the state to delay these requirements until March, but it will now be lifted in early November.
Challenges for Counties and Recipients
Research shows that work requirements rarely increase employment and often cause eligible recipients to lose benefits due to paperwork errors or delays. County social services departments, already strained, will now have to quickly train staff and manage increased workloads.
“I’m sitting with the managers and brainstorming what we can do to stay ahead of the storm,” said Kira Pospesel, Greene County social services commissioner.
Similarly, Oswego County is reallocating staff to handle the accelerated timeline, including hour-long orientations for nearly 900 SNAP recipients affected by the new rules.
Broader Concerns Amid Government Shutdown
The announcement comes as a government shutdown looms, which could further disrupt SNAP and WIC benefits and food bank networks. Funding cuts and delays have already limited food deliveries this year, leaving communities vulnerable.
“When you’re looking to avoid accountability for your bad policy decisions, you stop collecting data,” said Ryan Healy, advocacy manager for Feeding New York State, referring to the federal decision to end the annual food insecurity survey.
State Response and Activist Concerns
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers receive SNAP benefits, averaging $376 per month, and almost 500,000 receive WIC. State officials say benefits remain unaffected through October, but the situation beyond that is uncertain.
Activists are urging Governor Kathy Hochul and Albany lawmakers to act to protect residents.
“New York state should step up,” said Diana Ramos, Safety Net Project activist. “We need the state to offer funding to backfill federal cuts.”
Ramos, a SNAP recipient, highlighted ongoing challenges, including SNAP skimming scams that have stolen funds from beneficiaries. Despite being a hotspot for fraud, New York has yet to implement chip-enabled SNAP cards, leaving recipients vulnerable.
The accelerated timeline and continued federal cuts threaten to upend one of the nation’s oldest safety net programs, leaving both recipients and county agencies scrambling to respond.
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