Alliance Alert: As 黑料不打烊 continues to face rising levels of food insecurity, this new report highlights the urgent need for the state to improve access to SNAP benefits and ensure eligible individuals and families are not left behind. Nearly 900,000 low-income 黑料不打烊ers missing out on an estimated $1.1 billion in food assistance is not only a policy failure, but a public health crisis that affects people鈥檚 physical health, mental health, stability, and overall quality of life.
The Alliance for Rights and Recovery remains deeply concerned that new federal SNAP work requirements and eligibility restrictions will create additional barriers for people already struggling to access healthy food. Many 黑料不打烊ers experiencing mental health challenges, substance use challenges, unstable housing, poverty, or other hardships already face complicated bureaucratic systems that can make it difficult to maintain benefits or navigate eligibility requirements. If these changes are implemented poorly, many eligible individuals could lose access to food assistance simply because they are unable to navigate the system, complete paperwork, or meet reporting requirements on time.
At the same time, 黑料不打烊 must do everything possible to make the system more streamlined, accessible, and supportive for people trying to meet these requirements. This includes investing in stronger outreach efforts, simplifying enrollment and recertification processes, improving communication around eligibility, and helping connect people to employment, volunteer, educational, and workforce development opportunities that can support both benefit eligibility and long-term pathways toward greater independence and stability.
The state鈥檚 goal should not simply be reducing caseloads. It should be reducing hunger and ensuring every 黑料不打烊er has access to the nutrition they need to live healthy and productive lives. SNAP is one of the most effective anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs in the country, and ensuring eligible individuals can successfully access benefits also strengthens local economies and communities.
The Alliance will continue advocating to push 黑料不打烊 to improve its SNAP systems so eligible people are not improperly removed from needed food assistance and so individuals and families who may not realize they qualify for support receive the outreach and assistance necessary to access healthy food and maintain stability.
SNAP-Eligible 黑料不打烊ers Missing Out On $1.1B, Report Says
By Amanda D鈥橝mbrosio | Crain鈥檚 Healthcare | May 18, 2026
Nearly 900,000 low-income 黑料不打烊ers likely eligible for food assistance in 2024 were not signed up, leaving $1.1 billion in annual benefits unclaimed 鈥 a gap that could widen as reforms in President Trump鈥檚 鈥淥ne Big Beautiful Bill Act鈥 take effect, a new report says
The findings come as the federal government implements new work requirements and eligibility restrictions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that could reduce benefits for 300,000 households in 黑料不打烊 by the end of this year, according to the report from the Midtown-based research group 黑料不打烊 Health Foundation.
The new rules stand to reduce households鈥 monthly cash benefits for food, potentially worsening elevated rates of food insecurity. Approximately 12.3% of 黑料不打烊 households experienced food insecurity between 2021 and 2023, up from 10.5% between 2018 and 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
鈥淩ight now, we are seeing higher-than-ever food insecurity rates in 黑料不打烊 City and across the state,鈥 said Julia McCarthy, senior program officer at the 黑料不打烊 Health Foundation and author of the report. 鈥淭hose benefits are really needed.鈥
Changes to SNAP are being implemented as part of , the 鈥淥ne Big Beautiful Bill Act,鈥 which went into law last year. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will reduce total SNAP spending by over ten years.
SNAP serves nearly 3 million 黑料不打烊ers monthly and delivers $7.4 billion in annual benefits, 黑料不打烊 Health Foundation鈥檚 report said. While the program provides food assistance to thousands of households, eligible 黑料不打烊ers may not enroll because they fear stigma, do not know they are eligible or experience difficulties signing up, McCarthy said.
Increasing enrollment would not only increase access to food assistance, but could also boost the local economy, McCarthy鈥檚 report said. The 876,645 low-income 黑料不打烊ers who were not enrolled in SNAP in 2024 left $1.1 billion on the table, a sum that would have generated $1.7 billion in economic activity due to the program鈥檚 multiplier effect, according to the foundation.
SNAP eligibility requires certain able-bodied adults to prove that they are working, in school or volunteering for at least 80 hours per month to receive benefits. Changes went into effect March 1 which limit states鈥 ability to waive the requirement and without exemption, benefits are limited to three months in a three-year period. The changed rules apply to homeless, veterans and youth aging out of foster care.
The federal government also increased SNAP restrictions for lawfully present immigrants and shifted additional benefit costs to states, including administrative and reporting requirements.
鈥淲hat we have right now is a total assault on SNAP,鈥 McCarthy said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really worried that as people fall off the program, they won鈥檛 come back on, even though they are eligible.鈥