Panic sets in for New Yorkers as SNAP benefits dry up and gov shutdown extends
New Yorkers panicked Saturday as their SNAP benefits officially ran out, making the prospect of going hungry very real for millions, as the government shutdown approached its second month. Cash-strapped shoppers tried to stretch their dollars as best they could, facing the reality of shopping without government assistance after Senate Democrats blocked a government funding bill 13 times in six weeks, keeping the critical food program offline.
“SNAP is the backbone of the urban bread basket. When you choke that, you choke everything, everybody,” Shamika Hough told The Post as he shopped for his family at E & Y Deli in the Bronx Saturday morning.
Sausages and orange juice at the supermarket cost him $28 — a hardship since the personal care assistant was already stretching a $500 monthly allowance to cover his family of four and their dog, often making it last only three weeks. Hough, 41, was hoping the benefits would roll in for the month, but his balance read zero when he checked it that morning.
“I’m going to the pantry on Wednesday. I went there last week. I get up at 5 a.m. to get a spot and then my wife comes and I get to go to work. The line is long. It’s around the corner,” he said. “We don’t waste anything. Canned foods go a long way. My wife rations the food she cooks for several days at a time and this was before they cut SNAP, so it really helps.”
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, was expected to run out of funding this weekend amid the ongoing government shutdown, leaving an estimated 42 million people across the U.S., including 3 million in New York and at least 1.75 million in Gotham, wondering how they will pay for their next meal.
On Friday, federal judges in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts issued temporary orders requiring the Trump administration to continue administering benefits. Boston’s US District Judge Indira Talwani called the suspension “unlawful.”
The administration said it didn’t want to tap into a fund of about $5 billion allocated for the program, but Democratic officials claim the funds must be used during the shutdown. The Trump administration did not immediately reveal whether it would appeal the two court orders. Both judges asked for progress reports by Monday.
Following the dueling court rulings, the President posted Friday night that he had instructed his lawyers to ask “how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” adding it would be an “honor to provide the funding.”
In response to the crisis, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a “food emergency” across the state Thursday and allocated $65 million to support food pantries, soup kitchens, and other emergency food providers that needy New Yorkers will be forced to rely on during the absence of SNAP.
“Squad” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez launched a fundraiser on Saturday to benefit Elmcor, RAP4Bronx, and City Harvest food pantries. These organizations announced plans to increase their capacity to accommodate SNAP beneficiaries.
Tatiana Harris, 38, was on her way to a food distribution truck on Saturday because her $298 in monthly SNAP benefits were never delivered. Harris, who is unemployed and HIV-positive, said, “I don’t have any food in my house at all. I have a dog and I have no idea what I’m going to do if I have no food for him.” She added that, because it was the weekend, there was no one at the benefits center she could call for help. “I’m waiting until Monday to see what happens. I am hoping something happens. This cannot continue.”
Laura Diaz, 45, shopped at Antillana Superfood Marketplace in the Bronx, left wondering how she would get her 5-year-old son through the winter without their SNAP benefits. The pair receives $180 per month, which she sometimes uses to supplement rent and other bills.
“I have a growing son. I have to feed him. Right now, I’ll go without to make sure he eats,” said Diaz, who cleans houses for a living. “I’m going to reduce what I give him for lunch or I will have to work more hours.”
The SNAP crisis was sparked after Democrats refused to drop their demands to extend ObamaCare subsidies set to expire at the end of this year.
“Democrats have instigated a disgusting dereliction of duty unlike anything I have seen in all my years doing this work,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Friday at a Capitol Hill press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
“We, the poor people, are suffering the consequences. They are living their same lives but us, the poor people, our lives have been disrupted,” Diaz said, blaming both Democrats and Republicans. “I think about the people who can’t work. What are they going to do?”
One senior citizen, who declined to share her name, said she only had enough savings to get through November without government assistance.
“Me getting mad makes it worse. I’m disappointed but I have to keep a positive attitude or I’ll crash out and lose my mind,” the 66-year-old woman said. “We definitely need it and what they are doing is wrong.”
https://nypost.com/2025/11/01/us-news/panic-sets-in-for-new-yorkers-as-snap-benefits-dry-up/
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