Across New York, federal policy changes are threatening the health and well-being of millions of children, students, and families. Cuts to vital programs like Medicaid and SNAP will strip coverage and benefits for New Yorkers — all to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, robbing everyday New Yorkers and leaving them grappling with how to make ends meet.

New York ranks 40th in child poverty nationwide. In response, the state took decisive action in 2021 by establishing the Child Poverty Reduction Act. The law requires policymakers to cut child poverty in half within the next decade by bringing together advocates, community members, county social services leaders, and others to recommend policy changes.

While such progress is underway, harmful federal cuts endanger the state’s ability to meet its poverty reduction goal — particularly because many families rely on both Medicaid and SNAP as essential programs. Reductions to both programs at once compound hardship to millions of children and families across the state.

Federal Cuts Put Poverty Reduction Efforts at Risk

The Trump administration’s budget reconciliation bill punishes communities, families, and students by disinvesting in vital supports many need to meet their basic needs.

Examples of these destructive measures include:

• The reconciliation bill updates work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid, mandating that individuals document 80 hours per month of work or other approved activities, such as volunteering or pursuing education, to maintain eligibility. These requirements now extend to parents with children over 14 for both programs, and to older adults up to age 64. Many are expected to lose benefits because of these new requirements.
• Nationwide, the bill cuts $930 billion from Medicaid over the next decade. It is estimated 1.5 million people enrolled in Medicaid in New York — or about 7.5% of the state’s population — will lose health care coverage.
• Three million New Yorkers are enrolled in SNAP. 300,000 households could lose access. Most SNAP recipients in New York are children, elderly, or those with disabilities.
• County social service departments are already short-staffed and will face heavy administrative burdens.
• Tax provisions in the reconciliation bill give the richest one percent of New Yorkers a hefty tax cut of $51,630. In contrast, New Yorkers from low-income backgrounds earning less than $29,300 will receive only $160, while bearing the brunt of the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

Behind the numbers, the effects of cuts will also ripple into K-12 classrooms across the state and college campuses. Schools could lose critical funding for nurses, therapists, and psychologists, particularly affecting students with disabilities — all services Medicaid helps cover. States may turn to tuition increases and budget cuts for higher education and state financial aid to offset costs. Students from low-income backgrounds may face more barriers in pursuing higher education — due to challenges obtaining health care and accessing a reliable food source. Overall, families and students will face a harsh reality: being both uninsured and hungry.

How New York is Fighting Back and Defending Opportunity

Governor Hochul has been vocal in opposing these cuts and advocating to sustain these programs at their level. In recent years, the state has also taken steps to reduce poverty among students and families, which include:

• Broadening health care coverage for children: The state now offers continuous eligibility in Child Health Plus and Medicaid for children under six ensures access to essential medical services.
• Providing free universal school meals: Starting this school year, the state has committed to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students, regardless of family income.
• Expanding the Empire State Child Credit: The expanded credit now provides $1,000 to tax-filing families for each child under age four and $500 for each child from age four to 16.

What’s Next: How New York Can Double Down on Equity

While the state projected a surplus in early 2025, the federal reconciliation bill is expected to have a profound impact on New York’s finances in the coming years. The state and local governments are facing up to $1.4 billion in new costs annually for SNAP and almost $13 billion per year for Medicaid. As the state prepares its 2027 Executive Budget, it must ensure funding for these programs without sacrificing education — all three are essential to supporting children and families.

The state should:

• Simplify SNAP and Medicaid enrollment and renewals. Our report, From Barriers to Opportunity, outlines challenges families have with enrolling in public benefits in the state. Simplifying SNAP and Medicaid processes such as reducing paperwork and renewal requirements can lower administrative costs over time and reduce barriers for those that qualify for benefits.
• Include sustained funding for higher education emergency relief aid in the annual state budget. Funding should be tied to equity-focused eligibility criteria and should include data and reporting requirements that will help regularly assess the policy’s impact.
• Partner with the New York State Basic Needs Coalition. Policymakers can learn from this coalition and its leaders about opportunities to expand emergency aid, food pantries, and affordable meal and health care programs on higher education campuses.
• Find alternative or new revenue streams. Policymakers must also ensure that investments in SNAP, Medicaid, and other critical programs do not come at the expense of education funding.
• Maintain funding for universal school meals at the state level so all students continue receiving meals regardless of SNAP eligibility.

The future ahead is daunting — the number of federal cuts to SNAP and Medicaid are incomprehensible. These inhumane changes not only threaten the well-being of children at critical stages of development, they hold families back from a path to economic mobility and prevent older students from meeting their basic needs while pursuing higher education. New York leaders must act with empathy and explore innovative solutions to the challenges ahead.

About the blog series: When federal leaders make decisions about education and our communities, they don’t stop in D.C. — they land in New York communities. The #DCChoicesNYVoices blog series breaks down how federal threats are reshaping access and opportunity for students and families across the state. Read more here.