New York State delivered nearly $6.5 billion in food assistance to low-income working New Yorkers in 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday. The funds were provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps families with disabilities afford healthy food.

“No New Yorker should ever go hungry, and no parent or caregiver should have to choose between buying groceries or keeping the lights on,” Gov. Hochul said. “We need congressional leaders to step up and maintain funding for SNAP, an absolutely critical program that so many working families, families with children, and seniors across New York, depend on to purchase food, feed their loved ones, and make ends meet.”

“SNAP is one of the most effective tools we have to decrease hunger and food insecurity, and these benefits form a crucial lifeline for thousands of low-income New Yorkers," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand added. "No one deserves to go hungry, and I’m proud to have helped secure nearly $6.5 billion in federal funding for New Yorkers through the SNAP program this year to increase the accessibility of healthy food for families across our state. As we enter the new year, I am committed to continuing to fight for funding for food assistance programs to make sure that all New Yorkers have the resources they need to put food on the table.”

Nearly 3 million New Yorkers receive SNAP each month and the average monthly SNAP benefit is $376 per household. About 18% of the state’s population have received SNAP benefits in 2024. More than half of households receiving SNAP were families with children, and about 47% included an adult over the age of 55 or a person with a disability.