New Yorkers on Food Stamps Sue Trump Administration Over Rushed Work Rules
A group of plaintiffs, including a SNAP recipient and a nonprofit advocacy director, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the US Department of Agriculture in an effort to delay new work requirements set to kick in next week. The rules, which were fast-tracked by the Trump administration, will require able-bodied individuals without jobs to spend at least 20 hours per week working or looking for work to qualify for continued food assistance.
The plaintiffs claim that the changes were implemented illegally and will unfairly shut thousands of people out of their monthly aid. They argue that the law does not allow the USDA to end existing exemptions early, and that doing so would leave cities like New York without enough time to prepare for the new rules.
According to Helen Strom, director of benefits and homeless advocacy at the Urban Justice Center's Safety Net Project, "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."
The lawsuit comes as President Trump's administration has announced that it would stop paying all SNAP benefits this weekend if the federal shutdown continues. The USDA has also stated that it would not use contingency funding to cover November benefits, leaving recipients without aid for at least two months.
New York state is home to over 1.8 million people who rely on SNAP payments each month to afford groceries. However, due to limited job opportunities in the city, these individuals have long been exempt from work requirements under a series of state and local waivers. But those waivers were rescinded months earlier than expected, leaving able-bodied New Yorkers at risk of losing their benefits by March.
The plaintiffs are seeking to delay the implementation of the new rules, which will only allow recipients who can prove they're working or looking for work to continue receiving aid for three months in a three-year period. The average SNAP benefit is around $209 per month, but advocates say that these amounts are "absolutely lifelines" for those in need.
"This is not immense amounts of money we're talking about, but they are absolutely lifelines for our clients," said Pavita Krishnaswamy, supervising attorney for the Legal Aid Society. "We're worried about what happens when the city is unable to roll it out... What will then happen to our clients?"
A group of plaintiffs, including a SNAP recipient and a nonprofit advocacy director, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the US Department of Agriculture in an effort to delay new work requirements set to kick in next week. The rules, which were fast-tracked by the Trump administration, will require able-bodied individuals without jobs to spend at least 20 hours per week working or looking for work to qualify for continued food assistance.
The plaintiffs claim that the changes were implemented illegally and will unfairly shut thousands of people out of their monthly aid. They argue that the law does not allow the USDA to end existing exemptions early, and that doing so would leave cities like New York without enough time to prepare for the new rules.
According to Helen Strom, director of benefits and homeless advocacy at the Urban Justice Center's Safety Net Project, "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."
The lawsuit comes as President Trump's administration has announced that it would stop paying all SNAP benefits this weekend if the federal shutdown continues. The USDA has also stated that it would not use contingency funding to cover November benefits, leaving recipients without aid for at least two months.
New York state is home to over 1.8 million people who rely on SNAP payments each month to afford groceries. However, due to limited job opportunities in the city, these individuals have long been exempt from work requirements under a series of state and local waivers. But those waivers were rescinded months earlier than expected, leaving able-bodied New Yorkers at risk of losing their benefits by March.
The plaintiffs are seeking to delay the implementation of the new rules, which will only allow recipients who can prove they're working or looking for work to continue receiving aid for three months in a three-year period. The average SNAP benefit is around $209 per month, but advocates say that these amounts are "absolutely lifelines" for those in need.
"This is not immense amounts of money we're talking about, but they are absolutely lifelines for our clients," said Pavita Krishnaswamy, supervising attorney for the Legal Aid Society. "We're worried about what happens when the city is unable to roll it out... What will then happen to our clients?"
This is just cruel, a group of people already struggling to make ends meet are gonna be left with nothing if they can't find a job in 3 months?! 
It's not like they're not trying, the system is broken and we need to fix it, not punish those who are already vulnerable. What's the point of having food stamps if you're just gonna take them away when things get tough? 
This is exactly why these work requirements were so messed up from the start 
i mean, 20 hours a week?? thats crazy! what if ppl cant find jobs? wht if they gotta care for fam members? or have disabilities? the gov should be helpin us out not makin life harder 
my friend from nyc told me she's worried about losin her benefits 
like $209 a month maynt seem alot but its EVERYTHING 2 ppl in need 
this lawsuit is def needed, hope it gets delayed ASAP 
- delaying these rules would literally be a lifesaver for so many fams 
! We gotta keep calling out the gov 
for being hasty w/ policy changes!
the fact that they're rushing these rules in without giving cities time to prepare is just reckless 
and what's up with stopping payments during the shutdown? like, who do they think they're helping? 
these new rules are gonna hurt innocent ppl, and it's not even like they're gonna make a difference for anyone 
they need more time to sort this out and find alternative solutions for people who cant work. This could literally put a ton of ppl in crisis mode 
and btw, why do they wanna take away the state waivers that were already helping so many ppl in NYC? 
The way the Trump admin is handling this is super shady 
Like what's next? 
. The Trump administration's rush job on these work requirements is like they're trying to punish people who are struggling to get back on their feet 
.
. It's saying that the system is rigged against people who need help, and it's not fair to push them out without giving them a chance to adjust 
. We need to be talking about solutions, not just punishment 
.
I mean, can you imagine having your benefits taken away in like 2 months? 
And the fact that they're just gonna stop paying benefits if the shutdown continues... it's just a nightmare. 
I mean, 20 hours a week is not that much work. It's time these people stepped up and got their lives together... 
! The idea of cutting off food stamps for people who can't find jobs in NYC is just straight-up cruel 
. People need time to find jobs, get training, and build a resume. Rushing through this is gonna cause so much harm to innocent people 
. What's next, are they gonna cut off healthcare too? It's just more of the same old Trump-style politics, trying to screw over the most vulnerable folks in our society 
. The city needs time to prepare, especially with all the limited job opportunities here. Delaying the implementation would be a huge help. I'm keeping an eye on this situation 
its all about making ppl self-sufficient
