New York is sending out $65 million in social assistance for these beneficiaries. Amidst the government shutdown, beneficiaries of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may lose their benefits this month. As a cornerstone social assistance program, SNAP beneficiaries rely on these monthly payments to cover essential food costs. As such, a disruption in benefits can be detrimental to these families, and the additional support from local governments is critical during this period.
SNAP provides critical support for beneficiaries
SNAP has long been recognised as an essential social support program, responsible for reducing instances of childhood poverty and ensuring that households do not go hungry. Benefits are determined based on your annual household eligibility relative to the number of dependents in your household. Additionally, while federally funded, individual states are responsible for distributing benefits to their respective beneficiaries, meaning your payment date will depend on how your state authorities have structured SNAP distributions.
Income limits and associated benefit amounts are as follows for SNAP beneficiaries for 2025:
- Household of one: net monthly income limit of $1,255
- Household of two: net monthly income limit of $1,704
- Household of three: net monthly income limit of $2,152
- Household of four: net monthly income limit of $2,600
- Household of five: net monthly income limit of $3,049
- Household of six: net monthly income limit of $3,497
- Household of seven: net monthly income limit of $3,945
- Household of eight: net monthly income limit of $4,394
- Every additional member: +$449
In addition to income limits, SNAP beneficiaries also have limits on the amount of countable resources they are permitted to own, as well as need to meet specific work requirements to continue to receive benefits. Recently, the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill has expanded the working requirements needed to ahcieve to receive benefits. Further, states are implementing stricter rules pertaining to what beneficiaries can purchase using their benefits. These new rules are primarily focused on limiting beneficiaries from purchasing foods with excess sugar using their benefits.
New York provides $65 million in emergency aid
Amidst the federal government shutdown, an official statement from the New York Government has announced that the state will be providing a total of $65 million in emergency aid for programs in the state that provide food aid. Payments started being paid on November 1. The decision was made due to the shutdown delaying the release of federal funding for SNAP, meaning the approximately three million New Yorkers SNAP beneficiaries have been left without food assistance for the month.
“Today, I’m declaring a state of emergency and am committing additional state funds for emergency food assistance to ensure New Yorkers don’t go hungry” Governor Hochul said in a statement.
The $65 million worth of emergency aid will be distributed as follows:
- $40 million in new funding for the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program.
- $25 million in new funding for Nourish NY, a program that supplies surplus agricultural products.
SNAP beneficiaries are encouraged to visit food banks from the start of this month in the absence of benefits.
New York and other states announce a delay in benefits
Local governments have needed to announce to beneficiaries that November will see a delay in SNAP benefits should the government shutdown persist. Without the critical federal funding, states cannot distribute benefits due to a lack of insufficient funds.
The lack of federal funding for November SNAP benefits will likely result in other states joining the likes of New York in announcing a state of emergency, whereby state funding is redirected to food assistance programs in order to prevent beneficiaries from going hungry this month. SNAP costs approximately $8 billion per month to operate, with the US Department of Agriculture unable to operate the program without the necessary federal assistance.
Disclaimer: Our coverage of stimulus checks, tax reliefs, tax rebates, tax credits, and other payments is based on the official sources listed in the article. All payment amounts and dates, as well as eligibility requirements, are subject to change by the governing institutions. Always consult the official source we provide to stay up to date and obtain information for your decision-making.
