Families across the U.S. that receive food aid through the SNAP benefit program did not see any money loaded onto their EBT cards on Saturday. The impacts are being felt in New York, with food pantries and soup kitchens preparing for greater demand.

Although two federal judges ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must replenish SNAP food aid benefits despite the government shutdown, experts warn that even a brief interruption could push nearly three million low-income recipients into poverty.

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for New York on Thursday, days before SNAP benefits and other assistance are set to dry out amid the ongoing, and historic, federal government shutdown.

The well has run dry” is the message greeting people on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website. The federal agency provides millions of Americans with SNAP Benefits, but come November 1, the money won’t come as expected.

More than 40 million Americans on SNAP benefits will be impacted across the country, prompting Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency in New York

About 3 million New Yorkers utilize monthly SNAP benefits, which will not be distributed on Nov. 1 due to the shutdown.

SNAP benefits in New York State and across the country will continue through November after a federal judge ruled that the U.S. government must tap into emergency funds to keep food assistance flowing during the ongoing shutdown.

City Council data from 2024 shows about 20% of New York City residents receive SNAP. In the Bronx, more than 40% of people rely on it.