New York’s county governments are preparing for higher costs and a heavier workload as changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, take effect this fall.
John Liddle, who spent five years as Sullivan County’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services before resigning in May, is now executive director of the New York Public Welfare Association. He says changes approved by Congress last year are shifting more of the cost of administering SNAP onto state and local governments while requiring county social services departments to do more work.
“One of those changes, big changes this fall, is cutting support for the local administration of SNAP by cutting it in half,” Liddle said.
Liddle said the first phase of the changes represents a $168 million cost shift to New York taxpayers.
“Money that was being provided to the state, to municipalities by the federal government through federal taxes is now being pushed back onto local taxpayers,” he said.
New York is one of 10 states where counties administer the federal SNAP program locally. That means county governments share responsibility for the program’s fiscal and administrative costs, including staffing.
Liddle says that burden is growing at the same time that counties are being asked to take on additional responsibilities, including measures intended to combat fraud and changes to eligibility requirements.
“County staff are trying to do this in an environment where now with HR1’s [the federal budget reconciliation act enacted in July 2025] changes, they’re being asked to do more in terms of combating fraud and monitoring the spending in the program, but they’re being given less resources to be able to do it,” Liddle said.
One of the changes involves more frequent eligibility recertification. Liddle said SNAP recipients who previously had to provide updated documentation annually will now face a six-month recertification period.
“And so that recertification period is now every six months under HR1,” he said. “So that is extra work for the district staff to do.”
Liddle argues that the changes could also increase pressure on food pantries and other community organizations.
He disputes the idea that expanded work requirements will primarily affect people who are not working. Liddle said two-thirds of SNAP recipients are adults over 60, children or people with disabilities, while many other recipients are working but earn too little to become ineligible.
“The contention that, well, we’re just getting people off of the dole that aren’t working, that’s just not true,” Liddle said.
Liddle also described SNAP as an economic investment because benefits are spent at local grocery stores and other food retailers. He said food pantries cannot simply replace the purchasing power and reach of SNAP.
“The problem is, is that’s just not an effective delivery system,” he said, referring to relying on food pantries as an alternative to SNAP.
The New York Public Welfare Association is calling for Congress to delay the changes to SNAP’s administrative funding. Liddle said the association would support at least a one-year delay and has also advocated for two years.
Liddle said the goal is not to prevent reforms to SNAP, but to give state and local governments time to update the systems needed to administer the program.
“We want the system to work better. We want the system to work more efficiently,” he said.
He said New York’s SNAP technology is outdated and that counties need time and resources to make the changes required by the new federal law.
Liddle warned that without congressional action, the consequences could extend beyond county budgets.
“Well, we’re going to have a lot of people that are hungry. There’s going to be a lot of people that aren’t served,” he said.
Image: A woman browses produce for sale at a grocery store, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in New York.(AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyie, File)