Proposed federal changes to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest program helping households obtain food, would increase costs to state governments, limit eligibility and reduce the value of future benefits according to a new report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The most recent available data show 1 in 8 New York households were food insecure between 2021 and 2023. Almost 3 million New Yorkers relied on SNAP as of March 2025.

“The state has made meaningful efforts to reduce food insecurity, but it will be hard-pressed to expand or even retain these efforts if Washington shifts billions of dollars in costs to New York,” DiNapoli said. “If this legislation passes Congress, it will harm America’s most vulnerable residents, including here in New York where food insecurity has continued to be a significant problem post-pandemic.”

Food Insecurity Rises in New York 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), New York’s households contended with growing food insecurity from 2021 to 2023 with 12.3% (954,480 families) reporting limited or uncertain access to food because they lacked money and other resources. New York is one of eleven states with a statistically significant increase from the 2018 to 2020 period.

Very low food security, defined as one or more household members reducing or forgoing eating repeatedly over the course of a year, increased to 4.7% of households, about 365,000, in 2021 to 2023. New York was one of only six states with a statistically significant increase in very low food security in this period.

As previously reported by the Office of the State Comptroller, pandemic relief funds that enhanced income and food benefits during the pandemic were instrumental in preventing large increases in food insecurity during that time. These benefits included universally free school meals and higher SNAP benefits.

SNAP Reliance Grows Post-Pandemic 

Trends in food insecurity have generally mirrored trends in the number of SNAP households in the state, declining from 2015 until 2020. Since then, the number of SNAP households has steadily increased, reaching 1.75 million in March 2025.

While prices for food-at-home were relatively stable in the years preceding the pandemic, they have increased sharply since March 2020, growing 23.5% through March 2025. A 2024 survey of 3,774 respondents conducted by Long Island Cares indicates 69% of those who used affiliated food pantries did so due to the cost of food or inflation.

These increases have not occurred in isolation, as other costs have also experienced inflation. Rents, which are the largest expense for many households, rose 27.1% during the same period. Higher prices also coincided with the rising number of New Yorkers in poverty compared to pre-pandemic period levels. In 2023, 17.6% of New Yorkers were in poverty under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, a significant increase from 15.9% in 2019.

Proposed Federal Action Under Consideration Would Be Detrimental 

The House approved the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and the Senate approved a similar bill; discussions will be required to reconcile the differences for a final measure to become law. Proposed changes to state costs for SNAP include provisions to implement a matching funds requirement for state governments and to increase state share of administrative costs. As one of the nation’s most important safety net programs, SNAP has traditionally been funded by the federal government. Under the House reconciliation bill, states would be required to make a minimum contribution of 5% toward SNAP program costs, with cost-sharing rates as high as 25%. The Senate bill would implement state rates up to 15%.

Using the first three months of 2025 as a baseline for benefit costs, DiNapoli’s office estimates the Senate proposal would cost New York up to $1.2 billion in new costs, while the House proposal would cost the state up to $2 billion annually. Increasing the state share of administrative costs from 50% to 75% would result in the loss of approximately $266 million. Taken together, the changes mean the state could face between $1.4 and 2.2 billion in new annual costs within the financial plan period.

Eligibility would be limited in several ways. First, SNAP would be limited to citizens or lawful permanent residents. Second, work requirements for able bodied adults without dependents receiving SNAP for more than 3 months in 3 years (the time limit) would apply to those ages 18 to 64, up from 55, with some exceptions. The requirements would also be expanded to those with children over 7 years old (House bill) or over 14 years old (Senate bill). Work, education or volunteering, or some combination thereof, of at least 80 hours monthly would be required.

The House bill would also decrease the value of future benefits by prohibiting revaluation or reconstitution of the Thirty Food Plan, which is the minimum adequate monthly food budget defined by the USDA, and mandating future increases to the value of the plan be capped at the rate of consumer price index growth. The Senate bill would allow for reevaluation but require it be cost-neutral. If food prices continue to climb at a rate greater than general inflation, the value of the benefit relative to household budget will be smaller, and may place additional strain on local food banks and community resources.

State Action Threatened by Federal Cuts 

In recent years, the state has enacted numerous programs to support food security, many of which have the added benefit of bolstering the state’s farms and increasing access to fresh and nutritious food. These programs total at least $464 million annually in State Fiscal Year 2026, and include, among other programs:

• Free school breakfast and lunch in all schools, regardless of income ($340 million)
• The Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), which supports costs of food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters ($57.8 million)
• Nourish NY, which connects New York’s agricultural industry with food banks ($55 million)

Federal support and tax revenue growth in the post-pandemic period have allowed for the establishment or expansion of these programs. However, as DiNapoli notes in the Enacted Budget Report for State Fiscal Year 2025-26, the financial plan will be challenged by the uncertainty about the course of the economy and the threat of federal funding cuts.

Report 
Federal Actions Threaten to Exacerbate Rising Food Insecurity

Related Reports 
Economic and Policy Insights – Food Insecurity Persists Post-Pandemic
New Yorkers in Need: Food Insecurity and Nutritional Assistance Programs 
The Cost of Living in New York City: Food