NYC NOW Evening Roundup: What SNAP Cuts Could Mean for New Yorkers
Oct 30, 2025
Joe Hong, a WNYC reporter covering food prices and supply-chain issues, teams up with Karen Yee, who focuses on SNAP and food insecurity in NYC. They delve into the potential fallout from SNAP cuts, explaining how new work requirements could lead to loss of benefits for many. With grocers heavily relying on SNAP sales, they express concerns over possible layoffs and inventory shifts. The conversation highlights rising food prices in low-income neighborhoods, emphasizing the increasing reliance on SNAP and the looming economic ripple effects.
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Two Major SNAP Disruptions Loom
- SNAP payments for November will pause during the federal shutdown unless contingency funds are used.
- New work rules could start cutting people off by March if they can't prove 80 hours a month of work.
Work Rules Likely Remove Benefits, Not Jobs
- New rules extend work requirements and limit benefits to three months in three years for those not meeting hours.
- USDA studies show these requirements mainly cause people to lose benefits, not gain stable jobs.
Local Grocer Depends Heavily On SNAP
- Marisol Veras said 85–90% of customers at Pioneer Supermarket pay with SNAP.
- Small grocers in low-income areas often see SNAP make up 50–80% of sales, she added.