Unprecedented Cuts Threaten SNAP Food Assistance for Millions of New Yorkers

Nearly three million New Yorkers rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table. For many of these families, SNAP makes the difference between having food and going hungry.

Funding cuts proposed in the House budget reconciliation bill would slash about $300 billion from the program. These cuts would worsen a growing hunger crisis in New York and across the country, as children, seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable New Yorkers lose access to a critical nutrition lifeline.

Proposed SNAP cuts in the House budget reconciliation bill

Among other harmful provisions, the bill:

• Expands SNAP’s harsh work requirements to households with school-age children and older adults ages 55-64. In New York, this change would put 125,000 adults with school-age children and 221,000 older adults at risk of losing food assistance if they are unable to document sufficient work hours. Research finds that SNAP work requirements are not effective; they reduce access to the program but have no effect on employment. The added red tape that accompanies these requirements jeopardizes SNAP access for everyone; one study found that people with disabilities—who should be exempt from work requirements—lose SNAP access at about the same rate as able-bodied adults without children.
• Shifts a significant portion of SNAP costs onto state budgets, requiring New York to cover an estimated $1.8B in fiscal year 2028 alone. The bill also cuts the federal funding states receive for program administration in half. States, including New York, are highly unlikely to be able to absorb these costs, and will instead need to cut other critical state investments or limit SNAP access or benefits.
• Cuts benefit amounts over time by requiring USDA updates of the Thrifty Food Plan—the basis of SNAP allotments—to be cost-neutral, rather than accurately reflecting the cost of food using updated dietary science and purchasing patterns.

Cuts to SNAP will increase hunger and harm local economies

The average SNAP benefit in fiscal year 2026 is projected to be only $6.40 per person per day, covering less than two meals per day in New York. Families in New York are already struggling; newly released data show 1 in 7 New Yorkers faced food insecurity in recent years, including 1 in 5 children. The state’s food banks report serving 70% more households and individuals compared to before the pandemic. Especially amid federal cuts to food bank funding, the emergency food sector cannot meet the heightened demand that follows cuts to SNAP, the nation’s largest anti-hunger program.

SNAP is also an important revenue source for more than 17,000 retailers in New York. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates up to $1.80 in economic impact during economic downturns. In New York, SNAP brings approximately $650 million into local economies each month.

The impact of SNAP cuts on New Yorkers

New Yorkers have expressed serious concern about proposed SNAP cuts. Survey responses to Hunger Solutions New York illustrate the importance of SNAP and the potential impacts of benefit cuts:

“[SNAP] helps my mother and thousands of elderly [New Yorkers] who have low incomes.”
—Anna, Suffolk County

“My work as a farmer is seasonal. When there is a gap, SNAP has helped me get by as I look for work.”
—Elizabeth, Dutchess County

“Being a disabled 63-year-old woman that cannot work, SNAP allows me to eat. I can barely survive on the benefits I have. Any cuts to SNAP will definitely cause me to go hungry.”
—Suzanne, Saratoga County

“Without SNAP, we would have to choose between housing or food.”
—Anonymous New York SNAP participant

“Cutting any amount of benefits would mean less healthy food for my children.”
—Anonymous New York SNAP participant

Analysis from the Food Research and Action Center includes examples of how the bill’s proposals could affect families:

“Consider a low-wage unmarried couple in a rural area with two homeschooled children over age 7. The father works full time, and the mother has a small part-time job that allows her to care for the children and educate them at home. Today, SNAP and the father’s income cover their basic needs. Under this proposal, the mother would be required to work at least 20 hours per week to maintain eligibility—because caring for children is no longer considered a valid exemption unless the person is married and resides with an individual who complies with the SNAP time limit work requirement. That means fewer groceries and more stress for a family already on the edge.

Or imagine a single working mom who relies on her 62-year-old retired mother to care for her 8-year-old child before and after school. The grandmother receives SNAP benefits to supplement her limited income. Under this bill, the grandma would need to find and maintain a 20-hour-per-week job to keep her benefits, even though she’s already providing critical, unpaid care.”

As budget reconciliation moves forward, federal lawmakers must reject any cuts or harmful changes to SNAP and instead support food security for all New Yorkers.

Tell your representatives: Vote NO on SNAP Cuts

Take action now to protect food access for millions of New Yorkers. Use our click-to-action tool to urge your representative to reject this bill and vote no on cuts to SNAP.