Statewide reset of SNAP work rules tracking provides a critical opportunity for New Yorkers to reconnect with food benefits.
Starting October 1, 2026, New York State will begin a new three-year tracking period for SNAP work rules, clearing the slate for people who lost SNAP benefits this summer due to expanded work reporting requirements in H.R.1. This reset—which will only occur once every three years—presents a critical opportunity for New Yorkers to reconnect with SNAP for at least three additional months.
SNAP participants who are subject to the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) work rules can only receive SNAP for up to three months in a three-year period unless they document an exemption, live in an area with a waiver, or document sufficient work or volunteer hours. The rules apply to SNAP participants who are ages 18 to 64, do not have a disability, and do not live in a household with a child under age 14.
New York uses a standardized three-year tracking period for all SNAP participants who are subject to ABAWD work rules. The previous three-year period began on October 1, 2023, and ended on September 30, 2026. Within that time period, people who exhausted their three months of benefits and were unable to comply with the ABAWD rules lost access to SNAP. For most in New York, that loss of benefits occurred this summer, following the expansion of work rules in the spring.
With a new tracking period beginning October 1, 2026, people who lost benefits due to the ABAWD rules can reapply for the program, or ask to be re-added to an existing case if others in their household continued to receive SNAP. If otherwise eligible, participants can receive SNAP for an additional three months—and potentially longer, if they are able to comply with the ABAWD rules or document an exemption. Local SNAP navigators and departments of social services can help participants understand the rules and submit documentation needed to maintain their benefits.
New Yorkers can reapply for SNAP on MyBenefits.ny.gov or contact their local department of social services to be re-added to an existing case.
While critical, this reset period does not offset the widespread harm from H.R.1’s SNAP policies. Following the reset, SNAP participants will once again be subject to a harsh three-month time limit for food benefits unless they can navigate confusing and administratively burdensome rules. Research shows ABAWD work rules do not have any meaningful positive impact on employment outcomes—they simply add red tape to an already complex program and take food away from people who are struggling with unemployment or underemployment.
H.R.1 expanded ABAWD work rules to more people who were previously exempt, including older adults ages 60 to 64, veterans, and youth aging out of foster care. The bill also restricts SNAP eligibility for humanitarian immigrants, reduces benefit amounts over time, and shifts massive costs from the federal government onto state and county budgets. Collectively, H.R.1 cuts an estimated $187B from SNAP over the next ten years—the largest cut to SNAP in history.
Since the bill’s passage, states have seen alarming drops in SNAP participation despite rising food costs and food insecurity. Nationwide, more than five million people lost access to SNAP between July 2025 and June 2026. In New York, SNAP participation has decreased by more than 270,000 people as of July 2026.
Amid this nationwide crisis, Congress must—at the very least—delay implementation of H.R.1’s SNAP cost shifts, which are set to add more than $1.2B in additional annual costs to New York’s state and county budgets. The cost shifts will hinder state and local efforts to mitigate harm from H.R.1, and could jeopardize other critical investments in food security programs.
Hunger Solutions New York and our partners are calling on Congress to provide a two-year delay of the cost shifts for all states, expanding an existing two-year delay available to a small handful of states. We urge New York’s delegation to prioritize this delay in any viable legislative vehicle this fall, and to ensure the delay is not offset with any other cuts to SNAP. As New Yorkers continue to struggle with rising grocery costs and food insecurity, there is no time to waste; our federal representatives must act to provide much-needed relief.
