New Yorkers may lose their SNAP benefits by June 1st, according to Mayor Mamdani.
A new federal law, passed last year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, revealed that SNAP funding will be cut by 20%. The rules were changed under work requirements, and those who qualify for benefits, and which food could be purchased through the program.
Regarding the work requirements, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) must change the eligibility criteria for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents on SNAP.
SNAP recipients are required to adhere to the work requirements that began on March 1, along with the benefit reductions set to begin on June 1.
According to reports, there were more than 1.7 million NYC residents on SNAP as of March 2026. With this new law, more than 300,000 households could lose some or all of their benefits.
“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,” Mamdani said about the requirements.
“Instead, it’s punishing people who are already struggling to survive. These rules took effect on March 1, meaning benefit reductions could begin as early as June 1.”
For a person to qualify for SNAP under the new requirements, they must meet the following:
- Do not live with a child under age 14 in your household
- Are not pregnant
- Are not caring for someone who cannot do care for themselves
- Do not have any mental or physical barriers from employment.
To check out the full list of requirements, you can visit nyc.gov/accesshra.
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