Joint Statement in Response to 3 Million New Yorkers Losing Emergency Food Benefits on March 1, 2023

Millions of New Yorkers will find it harder to feed their families in March, as pandemic-era Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Allotments come to an end. In response, the following statement has been issued by City Harvest, Food Bank For New York City, and United Way of New York City, partners in a New York City-wide consortium to improve access to food and nutrition for lower-income New Yorkers:

“Starting in March 2023, millions of SNAP recipients in New York will lose a significant proportion of their monthly food benefit. For some of the most extreme cases, monthly food allotments will drop from $281 to $23 per month, even as grocery prices continue to rise at their fastest rate in 40 years—up nearly 12% over the past year.”

“We are helping to ensure SNAP recipients and providers within our network are aware of this change and supporting SNAP households to maximize their benefits.”

“To help make up for the loss of benefits, there should be a coordinated response that involves community organizations working with city and state legislative leaders and other key officeholders who should use their budgets to protect New Yorkers from cuts in SNAP benefits by increasing investment in programs that provide crucial food support. On the federal level, Congress should act to increase SNAP supports and sufficiency through key changes to the Farm Bill. Acting together, we can help make sure fewer New Yorkers go hungry.”