NYC has helped around 223,000 New Yorkers keep their access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid new federal work requirements that took effect this year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration said on Tuesday.
Per City Hall, a boots-on-the-ground, inter-agency effort reduced the number of Big Apple residents projected to lose their SNAP benefits by 65%.
The potential cuts are in response to the Trump administration’s new work requirements for receiving the federally funded food assistance. June 1 ended a three-month grace period the feds gave for complying with the expanded rules, which were part of last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“Food stamp work requirements don’t create jobs, they create hunger. If the federal government wanted to help people find work, it would invest in public jobs programs and guarantee a living wage. Instead, it’s punishing people who are already struggling to survive,”Mamdani said. “Here in New York, we refuse to stand by while Washington takes food away from our families. We are using every tool available to keep New Yorkers connected to the benefits they deserve.”
The new rules went into effect on March 1, starting with a grace period, and require certain SNAP recipients to prove they are working, volunteering, or in school for a specific number of hours each month to maintain their benefits.
Officials said thousands of New Yorkers are at risk of losing their benefits if they do not know the new rules. In response, the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement, implemented just this year, conducted outreach to New Yorkers most at risk of losing food assistance under the revised work rules.
Thousands of New Yorkers who were previously exempt must now satisfy federal work requirements to maintain benefits:
Working at least 20 hours per week (80 hours per month);
Participating in an approved job training or education program for at least 20 hours per week (80 hours per month);
Volunteering with an approved organization for the required number of hours based on their SNAP benefit amount.
According to city officials, staff from the Office of Mass Engagement’s Public Engagement Unit has knocked on more than 8,000 doors across the five boroughs over the past three weeks and made nearly 4,000 phone calls in a single week. The effort aims to help residents understand the new requirements and connect them with resources that may help them continue receiving benefits.
Staffers began a second wave of outreach on June 1, when the grace period ended.
“Our outreach teams are meeting New Yorkers where they are—connecting directly with people at risk of losing benefits, helping them navigate these federal changes, and ensuring they have the information and resources they need to stay enrolled and keep food on the table,” Tascha Van Auken, commissioner for the Office of Mass Engagement, said.
Beginning this month, some recipients who do not meet the requirements may begin losing benefits under the federal government’s “three-strike” policy, meaning one strike for each month of noncompliance. At three months, benefits can be reduced or eliminated.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the SNAP program, took steps to make SNAP-eligible foods more nutritious.
Stores that accept SNAP must now stock seven varieties of staple foods in four categories: protein, grains, dairy, and produce, which federal officials said doubles previous requirements and closes loopholes that counted some snack foods.
City officials are encouraging residents who believe they may qualify for an exemption or are concerned about losing benefits to seek assistance through SNAP support services. New Yorkers can call 718-SNAP-NOW for help; additional information is available through the ACCESS HRA app, or at nyc.gov/ACCESSHRA.