Counties Join Food Banks in Call for Two-Year Delay of SNAP Cost-Shift
This week, NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario joined New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Commissioner Barbara Guinn, the Regional Food Bank, and community leaders to call for a two-year delay to the SNAP administrative cost shift set to take effect this October under H.R. 1.
An estimated $168 million in new annual costs will fall to New York’s 57 counties and New York City (and their taxpayers) in just three months, absent congressional action that could stave off this cost shift. NYSAC is also advocating that all states be treated equally in regard to potential payment error rate penalties, by providing more time for all states to adjust processes to account for the new administrative requirements before penalties begin.
Each month, county governments administer SNAP benefits to more than three million New Yorkers who rely on the program for nutrition assistance. New York is one of only 10 states where counties administer SNAP and one of just three where counties pay a share of its cost.
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Learn more about how federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will impact New York's local governments and how you can join our call for a 2-year delay of the administrative cost-shift.
Acquario emphasized that the timeframe H.R. 1 gave counties to prepare for these administrative changes is too short, and he noted that the call for a two-year delay represents a bipartisan push from counties across New York State.
Acquario further stressed that counties are firmly committed to program integrity, but he cautioned that the challenge is not fraud in the way Congress has characterized it.
Most of what counts toward New York’s payment error rate reflects small income disparities that can result in minor under- or overpayments, paperwork errors, and sometimes late filings of paperwork that become part of the New York’s error rate calculation. These do not point to bad actors or ill intent; they reflect the complexity of administering an increasingly complicated federal safety net program.
Acquario also urged continued partnership with the state on education and outreach, workforce recruitment and training, and technology investments—resources that will help counties prepare and ensure New Yorkers in need can continue receiving the nutritional support they rely on.
NYSAC’s message to Congress is straightforward: enact a two-year delay to the SNAP administrative cost-sharing formula and treat all states equally in applying penalties.
New York’s counties need sufficient time to implement these changes in a way that protects families, preserves access to food assistance, and safeguards local taxpayers.