New Yorkers receiving food stamps have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to buy more time to meet the new work requirements kicking in next week — and keep their benefits longer.
The plaintiffs say the changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, were illegally fast-tracked and will shut thousands out of their monthly food aid.
“We are seeking to stop the harmful implementation of these work requirements, which have been rushed out in a draconian way and will be impossible to implement in such a short timeframe,” said Helen Strom, benefits and homeless advocacy director for the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project. The nonprofit, which helps residents navigate food benefits, and a SNAP recipient are named plaintiffs in the case.
The complaint was filed Monday in the Southern District of New York against the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the aid program. A spokesperson for the USDA declined comment because the litigation is ongoing.
The lawsuit also comes as President Donald Trump's administration said it would stop paying all SNAP benefits as soon as this weekend if the federal shutdown continues, and would not use contingency funding to cover November benefits.
About 1.8 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP payments every month to help afford their groceries. Recipients in the city have long been exempt from work requirements under a series of state and local waivers due to the area’s limited job opportunities. But the USDA rescinded that waiver months earlier than expected, which means able-bodied New Yorkers who can’t prove they’re working could lose their benefits by March.
Those who can’t meet the work rules can only receive benefits for three months in a three-year period.
Congressional Republicans and Trump passed a measure over the summer to make it harder for states to be exempt from work rules. They said more groups of people, such as homeless people, veterans and youth aging out of foster care, needed to meet the requirements.
The lawsuit argues the law does not call for the USDA to end existing exemptions early, and that doing so wouldn't give SNAP recipients or the city enough time to prepare for the changes.
“The average SNAP benefit is like $209 [a month per person]. These are not immense amounts of money we're talking about, but they are absolutely lifelines for our clients,” said Pavita Krishnaswamy, a supervising attorney for the nonprofit Legal Aid Society, which is representing the plaintiffs.
“We're worried about what happens when the city is unable to roll it out," she added. "What will then happen to our clients?”
This story has been updated to reflect that a spokesperson for the USDA declined comment.
