New Yorkers who rely on federal food assistance could see more program disruptions in upcoming months
Jie Jenny Zou · December 12, 2025
After a chaotic November, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is back on track — at least for now.
The government shutdown suspended SNAP payments nationwide on November 1. At the same time, New York’s social service agencies were hit with a surprise decision by the Trump administration that left them scrambling to implement expanded work requirements several months earlier than expected.
A messy legal battle involving 25 states and the Supreme Court ensued. But it wasn’t until
Congress reopened the federal government on November 13 that the White House seemingly acquiesced to mounting pressure from unfavorable legal rulings.
The administration has since resumed SNAP payments and will honor an existing waiver that allows New York to delay new work requirements until next year, as originally planned.
“My brain just couldn’t wrap itself around what the heck was going on,” said Diana Ramos, an activist with Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project and a SNAP recipient from the Bronx.
Last month, as the drama unfolded in Washington, Ramos said she took out a cash advance to stay afloat and juggle costs like dog food and a secondhand winter jacket.
Her SNAP benefits finally landed in her account on November 10, after New York and several other states rushed to release the payments following a court order.
Tami Wilson, chief operating officer at Feeding Westchester, said that while November’s chaos has come and gone, SNAP users are expressing more unease about the program’s future ahead of yet another potential government shutdown in February — despite assurances that SNAP funding will last through September 2026.
“You’re taking shots at SNAP from all different areas to confuse, deter, and just really be cruel to our neighbors in need,” Wilson said. “Our neighbors who are heavily reliant on the government are no longer feeling like the government can be their safety net.”
The organization saw food pantry use shoot up in October, ahead of November’s SNAP funding crisis. For years, Feeding Westchester has advocated to increase SNAP benefits based on reports from clients who say their monthly allotments don’t last the entire month.
“You’re taking shots at SNAP from all different areas to confuse, deter, and just really be cruel to our neighbors in need.”
—Tami Wilson, Feeding Westchester
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