Outlining the Impacts of ‘Big Ugly Bill’ on New York State

SNAP and Nutrition Assistance
Since the inception of SNAP, the federal government has funded these benefits 100 percent, receiving bipartisan support from presidents of both parties and in Congress. For the first time in the history of SNAP, the Republicans’ enacted law requires states to contribute to the cost of benefits, or risk having to end their SNAP programs entirely — jeopardizing a program that nearly three million New Yorkers rely on to put food on the table. In total, as a result, New York and local governments are facing up to $1.4 billion in new costs annually:

• New York State will be required to fund 15 percent of all SNAP benefits starting as early as October 1, 2027, at an estimated cost to the State of $1.2 billion per year.
• The law further cuts the federal share of SNAP administrative costs from 50 percent to 25 percent which will increase costs for the State by roughly $36 million annually, and increase costs for counties and New York City by roughly $168 million annually. Counties will have to begin incorporating this fiscal hit into their 2026 budgets due this fall.

New York State is also facing more than $900 million in lost SNAP benefits for New Yorkers, due to new, more punitive program requirements that will make it harder for people to qualify for the assistance they need:

• The law intentionally imposes unnecessarily administratively complex work requirements on SNAP recipients, which is projected to result in more than 300,000 households losing some or all of their SNAP benefits, devastating low-income households’ grocery budgets. With an average loss of $220 per household per month, New Yorkers are projected to lose more than $800 million of SNAP benefits due to these changes.
• The law further restricts eligibility for legally present noncitizens who have previously been eligible for SNAP, now excluding anyone that does not have legal permanent resident status, Cuban/Haitian status, or Compact of Free Association status. As a result, 41,000 noncitizens in New York State, including individuals granted refugee or asylee status by the federal government, are expected to lose the food assistance they rely on to feed themselves and their families, totaling roughly $108 million in lost SNAP benefits for New Yorkers.

The law also cuts funds for the SNAP-Ed New York Program, which promotes healthy eating and efficient use of already modest SNAP benefits by teaching SNAP beneficiaries how to shop for and cook wholesome, healthy meals on a limited budget:

• As a result, New York will lose $29 million annually that funded this work by 18 community-based organizations throughout the entire State including Cornell Cooperative Extensions in Albany, Allegany, Erie, Wayne, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, St. Lawrence, Steuben and Suffolk counties.