State funds SNAP benefits; pantries braces for spike

Pantries around Westchester have mobilized to help an anticipated increase in visitors during the federal government shutdown and as changes to food funding and benefits take hold.

By MARTIN WILBUR

All New York households eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will have their full benefits available to them no later than the end of this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office disclosed on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the governor stated over email that following the issuance of guidance Nov. 7 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture the state began releasing the benefits to recipients. 

“Since then, many New Yorkers have received their benefits and been able to spend them, while others will continue to receive them throughout the week,” the spokesperson stated in response to an inquiry by The Recorder. “We expect all eligible New Yorkers to have access to their November benefits by Friday.”

During the past week, there was a flurry of activity in federal courts as some states, including New York, sought and received favorable rulings to release full SNAP benefits. Meanwhile the Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which put a pause on fully funding benefits at least until Thursday, pending the outcome of the government shutdown. The House of Representatives voted Wednesday evening to end the six-week shutdown and the legislation was signed by President Trump.

Release of full benefits to New Yorkers comes as welcome news both to families receiving the benefits as well as pantries and organizations fighting food insecurity that have ramped up efforts to meet the anticipated increase in need.

Even with the resumption of benefits being administered, the changes in requirements approved by the federal government earlier this year will eliminate some recipients from eligibility. Brenda Raphael, a board member of The Pantry in Mount Kisco and head of the organization’s Communications Committee, said that it is believed that about 10% of people will lose benefits. That percentage could be a little lower in Westchester because there tends to be more households with children, she said.

An estimated 77,000 county residents have been receiving food assistance, according to material from Feeding Westchester.

Bracing for an increase

Raphael said the tougher rules, which went into effect Nov. 1, now requires people up to 64 years old to prove they are working or are looking for work, a hike from 54 years old; eliminates the waiver for veterans and the homeless; and only green card holders who are noncitizens remain eligible, not others who are documented but are in the U.S. on various immigration programs.

Prior data has revealed that there is increased pain to families without savings whenever efforts are made to reduce recipients, Raphael pointed out.

“Most of the evidence shows that every time you put complicated requirements in, the cost of tracking it ends up eroding any benefit you may have gotten from people,” Raphael said.

During the past week, The Pantry had about 60 families avail themselves of the food bags that are handed out each Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Raphael. Two new families told pantry personnel that they came for the first time because they had not received their SNAP benefits yet. The Pantry neither asks nor keeps data on how many of their clients qualify for SNAP, she said.

Serving residents from 21 communities throughout northern Westchester, The Pantry, similar to other outlets, has stepped up its efforts to be available to as many families in need as possible. Raphael said the first hurdle is letting the public know that they operate out of the United Methodist Church in Mount Kisco with the two distribution days.

It has also accelerated its calls for donations, including food, money and volunteers through social media and its email list, and has been looking to educate the public on the short- and long-term changes to SNAP. 

“We’ve gotten a pretty good response to that, and also we have 14 congregations that are affiliated with us, if you will,” Raphael said. “They help us and they are coordinating a special food drive so that the amount of food coming in has increased.”

In the past two weeks the number of people who have visited The Pantry has been relatively stable, although there have been some new families, Raphael said. Each of the two most recently completed fiscal years — 2023-24 and 2024-25 — has seen in excess of 100,000 people visit The Pantry. From fiscal years 2015 through 2017 there were between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors annually, according to data from The Pantry, highlighting the need in the community that saw large increases during the height of the pandemic and the inflationary aftermath.

The Pantry does not want to be caught by surprise if need spikes again.

“So, we do anticipate an increase,” Raphael said. “The question is it will take time, I think, for people to adjust to all the changes (to SNAP) to work through the system.”

The Pantry serves Armonk, Bedford, Bedford Hills, Chappaqua, Cross River, Croton Falls, Goldens Bridge, Hawthorne, Katonah, Millwood, Mount Kisco, North Salem, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Purdys, Sleepy Hollow, South Salem, Thornwood, Valhalla, Waccabuc and Yorktown Heights. 

For more information about The Pantry, visit thepantryny.org.