NEW YORK – As the federal shutdown drags on, anxiety is growing among the millions of New Yorkers who rely on food assistance each month.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul says the state is fast-tracking $30 million in emergency aid to keep pantries stocked, warning that nearly three million people could soon lose access to SNAP benefits
“We have over three million New Yorkers who could go hungry during the month of Thanksgiving.”
— New York Governor Kathy Hochul Why are SNAP benefits being cut?
The backstory:
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be issued on Nov. 1, marking a major disruption in the nation’s largest food assistance program amid what is now the second-longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Roughly 42 million Americans, about 12% of the population, depend on SNAP to feed their families.
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Here’s how to deal with the loss of SNAP benefits in NJ
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be issued on Nov. 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown. Here’s what you can do if you’ll be affected.
The impasse in Washington continues as Senate Democrats reject a Republican stopgap bill that they say underfunds health care and fails to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats also want to reverse recent Medicaid cuts enacted under President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”
The two parties have yet to reach a consensus on a long-term funding measure, leaving millions of households across the country, including those in New York, uncertain about when they’ll next receive benefits.
How many people will lose SNAP benefits? 
Millions of New Yorkers to lose food assistance due to shutdown
A nationwide crisis looms as the federal government confirms November food assistance will not be distributed due to the ongoing shutdown. Nearly 40 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits now face an uncertain future, with families and seniors bracing for the harsh reality of empty tables. FOX 5 NY’s Kendall Green has the latest.
In New York alone, nearly three million residents rely on SNAP every month, according to the state’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). The agency warns that while October benefits are being distributed as usual, November payments could be delayed or disrupted if Congress doesn’t act soon.
Speaking at a rally in Harlem on Monday, Hochul condemned what she called “an all-out war on the working class,” blaming Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump for blocking emergency funds that could prevent widespread hunger.
“We have over three million New Yorkers who could go hungry during the month of Thanksgiving,” Hochul said. “Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins doesn’t seem to give a damn… She has the ability to unleash $5 billion in emergency funds sitting right there, not being used.”
The $30 million allocation, Hochul said, will fund 16 million meals statewide, and comes on top of $11 million in emergency food bank support announced just days earlier, bringing the state’s total immediate food security response to $41 million.
“It will help keep food pantries stocked, and little kids’ tummies fed,” she added.
NY school meal programs 
Hochul said her administration is developing shutdown-specific food shortage strategies, including new ways to expand school meal programs and potentially allow students to take home leftover food for their families.
“I’m trying to find a real direct pipeline to the kitchen tables across this state,” she said. “Maybe it’s a few extra sandwiches to feed the kids who are not school age or to help out at the dinner table.”
She said those contingency plans will be announced “very shortly.”
Hochul, SNAP benefits
What you can do:
The governor urged New Yorkers to share how federal cuts are affecting them via a new state website, NewYork.gov/federalcuts, as part of a campaign to pressure Congress to restore funding.
“We will not be silenced while they take away food from our kids,” Hochul said. “These cowards think they can turn their backs on us, but we won’t let them.”
For now, OTDA says SNAP applications and recertifications must continue, and that EBT cards will remain active for existing benefits.
More guidance for recipients is available at otda.ny.gov/snap-benefits-shutdown.asp.
The Source: This report is based on information from NY Gov. Kathy Hochul.