SNAP recipients will face significant changes to the program in 2025. Republicans have long targeted SNAP benefits, which provide food for children, the elderly, the disabled, and families in New York State. In New York, 14.80% of residents receive SNAP benefits, or food stamps.
According to Yahoo Finance, New York ranks 11th among all states in terms of SNAP recipients. Many people who cannot work rely on SNAP to keep them from going hungry. According to the most recent data available in December 2024, 2,981,000 New Yorkers received SNAP benefits totaling $663,732,595.
As grocery prices continue to rise and unemployment rises, more Americans will rely on SNAP to feed their families.
Many New Yorkers who receive benefits have been on edge because the new administration appears to dislike giving them to those in need. Proposed deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could leave some New York families hungry.
According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities,
– more than 52% of SNAP participants are in families with children
– more than 46% are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled
– more than 31% are in working families
Now, a Republican senator in the United States has introduced legislation to limit what SNAP recipients can buy with their benefits.
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, one of America’s top ten poorest states, introduced the Nutritious SNAP Act of 2025. If Rand’s Act is passed, it will
- Prevent SNAP benefits from being used to purchase soda, snacks, and desserts.
- Only water, cow’s milk, non-dairy milk, and 100% fruit or vegetable juice can be purchased.
- Remove federal control and let states decide what else is considered unhealthy.
With Republicans in control of both the House and the Senate, the bill is likely to pass. Republicans have raised a number of concerns about providing SNAP benefits to those in need, so further changes are likely.
