NYC NOW - New Work Rules Could Push Thousands of New Yorkers Off Food Assistance

Episode Date: March 9, 2026

Nearly 1.8 million New York City residents rely on SNAP to help pay for groceries. Under new federal rules, tens of thousands must prove they are working, volunteering, or in school to keep those benefits. WNYC’s Karen Yi reports the expanded requirements could push many off the program if they fail to comply, raising concerns that vulnerable New Yorkers could lose food assistance amid confusion about the new rules.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [e-mail]

Welcome to NYC Now. I'm Jena Pierre. New York City's snap recipients, people who rely on food assistance, must comply with new work requirements in order to keep their benefits. On today's episode, we look into those new rules and who's impacted. But first, here's what's happening in New York City. I can confirm this morning that this is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch says officials are investigating an incident where two men allegedly sought to detonate homemade explosives during a protest near Gracie Mansion as an act of terrorism. Officials are identifying the two men as Emir Balad and Ibrahim Kiyumi, both from Pennsylvania.

Mayor Zoramamam Dhani says the men accused of using the improvised explosives, which did not detonate, sought to cause chaos. Many of the counter-protesters met this display of bigotry peacefully. with a vision of a city that is welcoming to all. But a few did not. Two men traveled from Pennsylvania and attempted to bring violence to New York City. The incident occurred on Saturday during an anti-Muslim protest near the mayor's residence

organized by January 6th rioter and far-right activist Jake Lang. It attracted dozens of counter-protesters. Officials say the two men are being federally prosecuted. Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hokel says she's increasing the presence of state police at what she calls sensitive sites across New York. She says this is in response to the ongoing war in Iran and this weekend's incident near Gracie Mansion. Hockel says the state is supporting the NYPD's probe into the event as part of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. It's feeling a lot like spring, isn't it? New York City's parks and

playgrounds are full of people out enjoying the sunshine and spring temperatures. Johnny O'Leary, known as Johnny Chess, is a long-time fixture of the chess scene at Washington Square Park. He says he's starting his outdoor season earlier than usual this year. Man, I'll tell you, I'm so full of gratitude for this weather being the way it is. It's just like I didn't expect to be outdoors engaging in something that nourishes my soul on a daily basis. Temperatures are expected to drop back down to the 30s next week. Coming up, under new federal rules, people who receive,

food assistance must prove that they're working in order to keep their benefits. More on that after the break. Welcome back. Here in New York City, about 1.8 million residents rely on food assistance known as SNAP, you know, to help pay for groceries. But there are some new rules that will impact tens of thousands of these residents. Under changes tied to President Trump's spending and tax package bill, some adults will now have to document that they're working.

volunteering, or enrolled in school to stay on SNAP. And if they fail to meet those requirements for three months, they could lose benefits. That means thousands of New Yorkers could be pushed off the program by the summer if they don't meet the new standards. Here to break it all down is WNYC's Karen Yee. Hey, Karen. Hey, Jane. So we've been talking about these changes to SNAP benefits for some months now, even before, you know, people lost their benefits.

during the past holiday season late last year. So what are the rules as of today? Yes. I mean, we've been warning that this is to come for several months. And I think that's why it's been confusing because you have had states and food policy advocates try to fight these changes, right, and try to delay the changes in court. And then you had this massive unprecedented government shutdown that pause benefits for people during November, right?

But now the changes are here. They're actually in effect for New York State. So in March, SNAP recipients in New York State have to start documenting that they're either working, volunteering, or in school consistently every month. Now, if they miss three months, that means they're going to lose their benefits. New York has long been exempt from these work rules, but that exemption is now expired. And the other change that's happening is that new groups of people have to meet these rules. So all said, the city estimates as about 123,000 New Yorkers. Now, what's confusing here is New Jersey is under a different timeline.

So work rules in New Jersey for most counties actually took effect last month. And so people have their sort of three month clock started already. And so they'll have until May to meet the rules or start losing benefits. And how are the feds keeping up with these requirements? I'm thinking of like people who foul unemployment. Like, you know, they go into the system. They say, hey, I applied for this job, but, you know, it didn't work out. But in the case of SNAP, how do they keep up with these requirements?

Right. So this is, SNAP is a national program. and it was the Trump administration and congressional Republicans that pushed forward these changes, but these programs are administered by states, which then sort of transferred those, that sort of like the bureaucratic paperwork to cities, right? So it's going to be up to, for New Yorkers, New York City, to now have to process an enormous amount of paperwork, right, if you are having to meet these benefits and, say, on top of everyone who's not meeting the requirements every month to say, hey, you need to submit your pay step, hey, you need to submit a letter of employment.

And so that work is going to fall down to the city's Human Research Administration Department, HRA. So some pressure on a state agency there. Absolutely. And a state agency that historically has had issues processing SNAP applications, right? There was a couple years ago just incredible delays in people waiting to get their benefits. And so now you have the same agency and a workforce, right, now having to do this additional task with very, very high stakes. Mm-hmm. Who's affected by these new standards? Okay, this applies to people 18 to age 64 now.

Veterans, homeless people, youth aging out of foster care, and parents with kids older than 14. These are all groups that weren't subject to the rules before. So now they are subject to the rules. And before, the work requirements only applied to people up to 54, and then now that's increasing until you turn 65 years old. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. So this means that maybe you were receiving SNAP for a long time and you, you know, you stopped working or you retired. You might have to come out of retirement if you want to keep getting those benefits, say if you're, you know, 62, 63.

Sister Marie Sorensen is the assistant director at St. John's, Righten Life. And she says that's why her biggest concern is seniors. Not only will families be affected by this, but seniors. This is a big issue. Moving that, that age range, that's causing a lot of panic, especially with people who are dealing with health issues or mobility issues or... Fixed incomes? Fixed incomes? This is very big for our seniors.

What are the seniors telling you? I mean, maybe they've already stopped working, right? I mean, having to go back into the job market now? It's a source of confusion for them because they're saying, but I'm past the age of retirement now. I'm a senior citizen. and I don't have the capacities that I used to have as a younger person. Oh, man, I can't help but think about this older guy I always talk to at my neighborhood bodega.

I've seen him, you know, pay with his snap card. And I'm wondering, like, how he's impacted by this. Right. I mean, or if he even knows. Right, that too. You know, I think the city has tried to communicate to people that this is coming. But it's a lot to process, right? I mean, even just explaining the categories of people that are now, now have to meet work

requirements, even explaining the requirements themselves, it's confusing, right? And maybe if you're not digitally connected and you're not so chronically online because you're a little bit older, you might not know the intricacies and sort of the back and forth court battles that we've been following here. Yeah, yeah. And you talked with Sister Caroline Tweedy as well, right? Yes. Sister Caroline Tweety, she's the exact. executive director at St. John's Bread and Life, and she adds in another wrinkle.

She says that many of these seniors are also caretakers. We have a lot of older folks that are raising children, children's children. So they're raising their grandchildren or their great-grandchildren. And they didn't think of that two or three years ago, you know, because they were somewhat secure. Now they're looking at what do I do when or if, you know, suppose they don't have, you know, meals in schools. How do I feed our kids? And that becomes an issue for them as well. So it's an added responsibility.

And you know, I'm sure like these older adults, they never even imagine being a guardian at this age. Right. I mean, people are having kids older, right? And so that means the grandparents are also older. So, you know, I think there's a lot of differences in everyone's family structure and sort of family struggles, right? And this is something that I don't think anyone expected, right?

So you're a senior, you're taking care of a young child, and maybe you're receiving snap, and now you have to figure out what to do because child care is so unaffordable. How do you sort of balance having to maybe go back to work or volunteer while you're caretaking? Yeah, but for older folks who are taking on that extra responsibility, I don't know, something in me thinks that they should be exempt from these new rules. Right. So there are categories of people that are exempt.

So if you have some sort of medical condition, if you have a disability, you can fill out an exemption form. But again, more paperwork, right? So you have to sort of prove that you are exempt from these rules. So absolutely, there are people who may be able to, even if they fall within the age range, not have to meet these requirements. It just all seems so unnecessary, these new standards. Yeah, that's what Sister Marie said.

She called the whole thing really kind of cruel. So how are SNAP recipients responding to all of this? Right. So I went to the pantry that Sister Marie runs in Bed-Stuy, St. John's Bread and Life, to see whether people even knew that the rules were coming and how they felt about them. And you might be surprised that a lot of folks I spoke to actually supported the concept of work requirements. I got two good legs, arms, and I'm good. I'm glad they're doing.

That's Kashouinique Burnett, who is 56 years old. She stopped working last fall as a chef. And she told me that she's not worried about meeting new rules. She thinks it'll get her out of the house. You know, she wants to give back to her community. I mean, get people out there, get them motivated to do something that's different in life. Are you working right now? I was working part-time.

So now it's stock. I was a chef. So now it's really slow. So I have work since, like, what, December of last year. So, right now. Are you worried about how you're going to be able to meet the rule? I'm not worried because I follow the rule because I need help, so I'm going to go and do what I got to do. So you're going to go and do what I got to do.

So you're going to do? I'm going to go out there and work and hope I can find me and have a job. Kachanik seems a bit optimistic, you know, despite being out of work since December. But honestly, Karen, you know, to be fair here, she's 56. She's not a senior citizen. Did you talk to any older folks? Yeah, I spoke to William Singletary. But you could call me Bill.

Because I'm just a bill on Capitol Hill. He just turned 65, so he just aged out of these requirements. And, you know, he also told me that he agrees that people who are able to work should work. I think it's great because some people are just taking advantage and they're not doing anything, you know. And then you've got those people out there selling their snap and stuff like that. And that's not fair to the people that really need it. Do you think it could be maybe hard for some people who are a little bit older and now suddenly have to work or volunteer? Yeah, especially senior citizens.

I mean, they worked all they like. I think they should lay back. They're in their golden years. Right? Come on. There's a lot of young people out here that's getting snapped that's not working. I don't think it's free to the senior citizens. Man, William and Kashenik both have some really interesting responses so far.

Yeah, and I also spoke to another William, William Marrero, who is 48 and volunteers at the pantry. And he also finds the idea fair and principle. I think it's appropriate at this point. in time for each and everyone to contribute to deserve. So I find a fair, give and take. So William is also unemployed, but he volunteers at the pantry, and that should be enough to satisfy the requirements, because you can also do in-kind work or volunteer work or be in school.

So, and is it part-time or full-time work? Okay. Here's where I'm going to make you do more math. Oh, gosh. The requirement is it's 80 hours of work a month, right? But for volunteer, and I'm just going to read verbatim from like what state officials I've told me because that so you can get a sense of just like the confusing scope of these requirements. Okay. To meet the volunteer requirement, it is a number of hours per month equal to the household SNAP benefit divided by the state minimum wage.

Wait. You want to read that again? Wait. Can we have an example? I can't even, I mean, maybe, but I think that. That is the concern, right? Just how incredibly confusing these requirements will be, even though, you know, 67% of SNAP recipients are working, right?

You know, a lot of people are volunteering. You could see William and the other William. They're both volunteers at the pantry. It's just a matter of sort of filling out the right paperwork and doing the math to make sure that you can prove. This is more about proving that you're working in order to give your benefit. This is so confusing. It is.

It's confusing. And then, you know, I think you also have some people that are dealing with medical issues, right? And is it enough of a medical issue to get you exempt from the rules? You know, Marrero says he's dealing with arthritis and a hernia. But he's optimistic he'd get an exemption if he needs one. How do you feel about the, you know, having to submit more paperwork trying to get an exemption or trying to prove? It's right. It's right.

I mean, it's part of life. You do things. You have to improve or you think. Are you disciplined? We've got to get it done. Very interesting. But Karen, it seems like most of the people you spoke with were actually okay with the policy. Yeah, but I will say not everyone felt that way.

I met Yvette Arundel. She's 54 years old. She told me she didn't even know about the new work rules until I mentioned them to her. You did not know about these work rules. No, I did not. I'm just hearing this from you and it's sad. You're hurting people. People.

You're not even seeing because you're living a whole different world than where we live in. And her concern is a little bit more big picture, right? She's worried about what's going to happen to her community, her neighbors, when people start to lose benefits. Able body don't mean an able mind. You don't do that. You don't use force to force people to do things. You have to work with them. So, please, I'm begging whoever is in charge, rethink this.

reinvestigate because there's people who's going to suffer and there's people who's going to lead to crime. They could have been a good person all in life, not one inch of entrance with police. And now that survival is taken over. And this is what are people going to think about. Survival is not even going to be the drug and want to get this hat and get it's going to be I need to eat. I need water to drink. That's what it's going to be. You know, Yvette's making a lot of points there.

And also, like, able-bodied doesn't mean able-minded. That's so true. Yeah. And I think, you know, her concern. And it was interesting, like, even people who agreed with the work rules and concept, they were very worried about the seniors, right? It's just very stressful. Yeah.

Having to do this math to see what are the minimum hours of volunteer work that you need. Or to find out where to volunteer, trying to get yourself there to volunteer once you have your routine or like we mentioned, maybe you're taking care of a child. And the other thing is like maybe you don't even know that this is coming. A few people I spoke to online waiting for the food pantry said they didn't know until I told them. That's not surprising to me at all, honestly. Like we as journalists, we are always often in the know about things like this.

But it's, I mean, you're doing a service, you know. letting people know. Right. And I think for some people who are newly applying to SNAP, right, it hasn't been, you know, SNAP has been exempt from work requirements for as long as I can remember, right? So they may not know that these changes are coming. But were they not notified? The city has told me that they are notifying everyone who meets these requirements. You know, they're sending letters to people and they're going to be in touch with people as they don't meet their requirements. But, you know, stuff gets lost in the mail. Maybe you don't pay attention. Maybe you don't understand what you're being told in the letter. I mean,

you know, here we are having a very long conversation just explaining the benefits. So it is, it can be difficult to sort of process. Hi, do you guys aren't, any of you guys on Snap by any chance? Not yet. Not yet? Are you trying to be? Oh, do you know about the new work rules? No. That's, I'm doing a story. I'm looking for a job too, sure. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I met Conrad Richie and he didn't know about the rules either because, you know, he's still trying to get SNAP. So what do you make of these new warden rules? I really don't know who they are. I really don't know what they are. You just told me, but I know

in order to have Medicaid, if you're on Medicaid, you have to show some kind of attempts to be getting a job as well. Not just food stamps, not just SNAP benefits, but also cash assistance. Like, you know, right now I'm about to be evicted. So I don't want to end up homeless, so I've got to try my best to see what I can do here. But all I'm using, all I'm using is the, you know, the resources they have, social workers, whoever they are. We've heard from some really interesting folks,

some New Yorkers that are really dealing with the pressures of life in this city and affordability, right? It seems like they really need these benefits. Right. I mean, I think if you think about what SNAP is for, it's really money to spend at the grocery store, right? It is money to feed your family. And so I think for people who are struggling, we see the rising.

cost of child care. We see the rising costs of rent. We see the rising cost of everything in your community. And SNAP has always kind of been this lifeline, right, to help you maybe use money that you would use on food for something else. Right. And so if that piece of your budget puzzle is now being taken away, that adds more pressure to figure out, okay, how do I make that gap up? Right. And so you can see in all of these stories how varied the cases are, right? Some people are dealing with a medical issue. Some people are dealing with temporary unemployment. Some people are, you know, not able to be as mobile as they used to. Some people are trying to get SNAP for the first time.

Even for people who are working, like I said, a lot of SNAP recipients are working. A lot of SNAP recipients are families, but they just don't make enough. All right. So we know there are age-related work requirements, 18 to 64, and some folks might qualify for exemptions, you know, if they fill out the paperwork

and they'll be able to keep their benefits. But what happens to people who don't comply with these new rules? I spoke to Scott French, from the city's Human Resources Administration. That's the agency that oversees SNAP to ask how they're going to handle that. We're going to be sending individuals specific notices, letting them know we have, you know, based on our tracking, the prior month you did not comply.

You know, this is your first month for noncompliance. Please make sure that you contact us or connect with us so we can get you connected to services and support so you can meet the monthly requirements. He says people can miss up to three months of not sort of complying with the rules until they get kicked off, right? So you're essentially limited to three months of benefits within the three-year period before you get kicked off. And then this is sort of another – I want to make you kind of do a little bit more math here. But it's not like the three-year period begins in March, right?

We're already on a three-year period that I believe ends next year, right? So you will be kicked off until next year when the new three-year. period for the state begins again, or you'll then have another three months to prove eligibility, if not then lose benefits for the next year period. Okay. What have city officials been doing to prepare for these changes? The city says it's reaching out to everyone affected and letting them know what's to come, and they did launch a new partnership with more than 70 nonprofits to essentially identify

pool of work or volunteer opportunities that can help SNAP recipients meet the requirement, so maybe they can get referred to an open position or a volunteer opportunity, maybe in their neighborhood, maybe with a nonprofit partner that they're already working with. But the city has this enormous task of now processing all of this new paperwork and making sure people don't fall through the cracks. And we've heard complaints about snap delays about people losing their snap already. And now you're adding this additional layer of bureaucracy. But the city told me that they're going to be in touch with every person every month. So if they don't meet the rules, they're really going to try to get them in compliance.

Because, you know, the stakes are really high here. People can lose benefits, which is essentially. money to eat. Yeah. And advocates say, you know, the state of New York hasn't had to follow work requirements for a long time. So even the city workers and the advocates that are helping people meet these requirements, they haven't had to do this in a long time. So it's just going to be a very big learning curve for everybody. Yeah, for sure. That's WMYC's Karen. Karen, maybe we follow up with you in the summer and talk about folks who may have been kicked off of their benefits. Yeah, absolutely. We'll be staying on it. Thanks for joining us.

Thank you. And thank you for listening to NYC Now. I'm Jenae Pierre. See you next time.