Alliance Alert: The Alliance for Rights and Recovery is deeply concerned by the federal government’s latest announcement that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries will receive only about 50% of their normal benefits for the month of November due to the ongoing federal shutdown and funding impasse.
According to multiple reports — including CNN and Politico— the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin issuing partial payments using emergency contingency funds after two federal judges ordered the administration to take action late last week. These payments, however, will cover only a portion of the more than $8 billion needed for November SNAP benefits nationwide.
While President Trump stated publicly that he has directed lawyers to determine how to release additional funding, the USDA has not yet indicated when or if full SNAP benefits will be restored. The department has said that paying partial benefits is the fastest available option, given that recalculating and reloading payments for tens of millions of recipients is a complex process requiring coordination with every state.
New York Lawmakers Call for State Action
As federal uncertainty continues, New York lawmakers from both parties are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to consider using the state’s budget surplus to temporarily backfill missing federal funds.
- Sen. Jake Ashby (R–Rensselaer) led a bipartisan letter urging the Governor to “solve this at least temporarily” and ensure that families do not go hungry while federal payments are stalled.
- Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas (D–Queens) joined over 250 labor and community organizations in urging the state to “draw on its surplus to fully fund the food benefits.”
- While Governor Hochul reiterated that New York cannot fully replace the $650 million in monthly SNAP funds, she has released $106 million in emergency grants to support food banks and pantries and deployed student volunteers and community partners to expand food distribution statewide.
What Happens Next
- Partial SNAP payments are expected to begin rolling out later this week, though the exact timing will vary by state.
- New York officials are awaiting additional federal guidance before issuing benefits to state residents.
- If the courts’ orders are upheld, SNAP recipients could receive retroactive payments once the government reopens or Congress authorizes additional funding.
Ongoing Advocacy
The Alliance emphasizes that partial payments are not enough. Millions of families depend on SNAP to survive, and cutting benefits in half will cause hardship for those already struggling with hunger, homelessness, and poverty.
We call on Congress and the federal administration to act immediately to release additional funds and ensure that every SNAP household receives full benefits this month.
The Alliance will continue to monitor court decisions, state actions, and USDA updates and will alert our community as soon as more information is available about when New Yorkers can expect to receive their November SNAP benefits.
“No one should go hungry because of government inaction. Full funding for SNAP must be restored now.”
NY Lawmakers Call on Gov. Hochul to Cover SNAP Food Benefits with Surplus Funds
By Jimmy Vielkind | New York Public News Network | November 3, 2025
New York state lawmakers from across the political spectrum said Gov. Kathy Hochul should be prepared to pick up the full tab for food assistance benefits that are in limbo due to the federal government shutdown.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, orSNAP, benefits for nearly 3 million New Yorkers expired Saturday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it wouldn’t refill recipients’ benefit cards. But in response to litigation by New York and other states, two federal judges ruled Friday that the benefits should be paid with federal contingency funds so low-income people can continue to buy groceries.
The USDA is set to provide a status update on the issue Monday. The rulings at least temporarily relieve pressure on Hochul, a Democrat, to open the state’s checkbook to cover the pause in federal food aid, though dozens of state lawmakers wrote in letters to her that New York should step up.
“We can solve this at least temporarily, more wholeheartedly and more holistically,” said state Sen. Jake Ashby, a Republican from Rensselaer County whose letter was signed by both Republicans and Democrats. “Many of these people out there need our help, and we have the ability to do that.”
Ashby said Monday it still wasn’t clear how much of the food benefits for November would be covered after the court orders. He said any lag in payments could have been avoided if the state was more proactive.
Hochul last week announced $106 million in emergency grants to food banks and pantries. She also directed students who participate in a state-backed community service program to help with emergency food distribution to meet an expected surge of demand.
But the governor also said the state wasn’t able to pay for all SNAP benefits, estimated at roughly $650 million a month. Hochul said the federal program is funded by New Yorkers’ taxes and is a federal responsibility.
“No state can backfill this,” she said Thursday. “The pressure needs to be on the cause of this, which are the Republicans in Washington. Full stop.”
Several other states said they would backfill the program. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, announced a new program to pay SNAP recipients weekly that will draw on state surplus funds. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, another Republican, announced plans to fund benefits for 15 days.
Strong performance on Wall Street has led to better-than-expected tax collections for New York’s coffers over the last several months. The state Division of the Budget estimated it would collect an additional $2.6 billion in revenue in the current budget year — enough to cover higher administrative costs associated with the massive tax-and-spending bill President Donald Trump signed in July.
State Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, joined a rally of progressive groups Friday calling for New York to draw on its surplus to fully fund the food benefits. They said there’s enough money in state reserve funds and from the higher-than-expected tax collections to absorb the federal hit and pay for the benefits. The rally touted a letter to Hochul and state legislative leaders signed by more than 250 labor and progressive groups.
“There’s still a lot of challenges with New Yorkers accessing those pantries,” Gonzalez-Rojas said, adding that the SNAP program supports local stores.
She said she hoped the recent court orders would be sufficient to cover the program’s costs, but state funds should be used to “ensure that New Yorkers who depend on SNAP can continue to eat in the event that the federal government cruelly refused to cover their responsibility to fund the program.”
Gonzalez-Rojas has more than 40 signatories on her own letter to Hochul. Ashby’s letter is signed by Republicans and Democrats, including state Sen. Julia Salazar of Brooklyn and James Sanders of Queens.
Still, state lawmakers assigned blame for the lapse in payments to different parties.
SNAP benefits have continued being paid out during previous government shutdowns. Democrats said Republicans reneged on plans to use federal contingency funds to keep the program functioning in the current shutdown.
“This is squarely on Trump and the Republican members of Congress,” Gonzalez-Rojas said. “This is such a cruel and unnecessary crisis we’re facing right before the holidays.”
Republicans said Democrats in the U.S. Senate should vote for a budget measure known as a continuing resolution that would reopen the government and fund SNAP.
Democrats have refused to do so unless Republicans extend health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. Congress has remained at an impasse for more than a month.
Ashby, the Rensselaer County Republican, said he was heartened to be in sync with his colleagues across New York.
“I think this is an issue worth coming out for in a bipartisan way,” he said.