NYC pushes 26,500 New Yorkers cut from SNAP to reapply under new federal rules

City Hall has started a citywide drive to find New Yorkers who lost SNAP food benefits under tougher federal eligibility rules, now that they are allowed to apply again, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced.

Since March, 26,500 city residents have been removed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps low-income households buy food, according to the city. The cuts stem from tighter eligibility in H.R. 1, the federal law from President Donald Trump that is also called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Who can reapply for SNAP in NYC, and for how long

Oct. 1 opened a new three-year tracking period under the rules. People who were dropped can file again, and anyone who still qualifies on every other count can collect as much as three more months of benefits. City agencies are also matching records to spot recipients who might be exempt, for example because of a medical condition or caregiving responsibilities.

Department of Social Services Commissioner Erin Dalton said most of the people who lost benefits were young men without children. She credited earlier efforts to cut paperwork with keeping more than $800 million in food assistance in place. Since January, the city says, workers have helped over 220,000 New Yorkers, knocked on more than 10,000 doors and made 40,000 phone calls.

“We are taking a boots-on-the-ground approach to this because the consequences for New Yorkers are quite significant,” Mamdani said.

How the city’s SNAP outreach campaign works

To help residents satisfy the tougher rules, the city has teamed up with more than 100 community-based organizations that can steer people toward jobs and job training. Word of the campaign will go out in ads, on flyers, across social media and through other channels the city runs. The city is also hosting information and training sessions for its partner groups.

The pressure is heaviest in the Bronx, where more than 20% of residents were food insecure in 2022, according to Feeding America. The community groups helping with outreach are also being asked to cover gaps left by the lost federal benefits.