Syracuse Post Standard: We’re protecting New Yorkers from hunger as feds abandon the vulnerable (Guest Opinion by Lucy Lang)

Lucy Lang
November 10, 2025

As New York State Welfare Inspector General, I see every day how public benefit programs are not abstract policies - they are lifelines. They feed hungry children, keep aging New Yorkers warm in winter, and give working families a measure of dignity and stability. These programs reflect our shared values and our collective commitment to one another.

That promise hangs in the balance as millions of Americans face the terrifying prospect of losing their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits because of the ongoing federal shutdown and the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Following lawsuits brought by states, nonprofits, and municipalities - and two federal court orders directing the administration to act - the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it would tap its contingency fund to issue partial November SNAP benefits.

Then, last Thursday, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the administration to fully restore funding by Friday, finding that the government "failed to consider the harms individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer," and declaring that the recipients of these critical benefits "have gone without for too long" and that "Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable." The judge also rebuked the President for publicly suggesting that benefits would not resume until after the shutdown - remarks later walked back by the White House. The appeals court ruled against the administration again late Sunday. However, the Supreme Court has paused the ruling until at least Tuesday.

Despite these promising developments, millions of families still don't know when or whether they'll receive their full benefits. For those already living paycheck to paycheck, continued delays may mean difficult choices between food, medicine and rent. This whiplashing uncertainty and the fact that millions of Americans must rely on emergency court rulings to secure access to basic nutrition is a sobering reminder of how fragile the nation's social safety net has become.

Mercifully, in this moment of federal instability, New York is stepping up. The state is fast-tracking $106 million in emergency food assistance to support food banks, soup kitchens and other hunger relief programs across New York. This action will help fill shelves and stomachs - but it cannot and should not replace the federal government's obligation to the people. SNAP is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in existence and has helped our communities avoid the plague of food insecurity for almost 15 years. Just as importantly, SNAP also supports the lifeblood of New York and the nation - small businesses like neighborhood bodegas and farmers markets, which both depend on and serve SNAP customers.

The federal shutdown and the OBBBA's punitive work and documentation mandates are a one-two punch against struggling New Yorkers. They introduce bureaucratic hurdles that will push thousands off assistance, while simultaneously threatening state budgets by penalizing administrative errors. These are not efficiency measures; they are acts of neglect disguised as reform.

As Inspector General, my responsibility is to ensure that programs like SNAP operate with integrity - that they reach those who qualify and are not exploited by those who don't. So shouldn't I be thrilled about more rules and processes ostensibly intended to make my job minimizing waste and fraud easier?

No. Because integrity is not fraud prevention alone; it includes ensuring fairness and function. It means making sure we help our neighbors overcome challenges, not penalize them for having challenges in the first place. Rules that make it harder for veterans, working parents or aging New Yorkers to prove their eligibility don't protect the system - they weaken it.

These are not partisan talking points - they are daily realities for those of us on the front lines of public service. We know that policy made from afar often suffers from blind spots that are obvious to those of us on the ground. The reality is that most SNAP recipients who can work already do. Those who are unemployed often face barriers such as lack of transportation, childcare, health concerns, or unstable housing. Adding administrative hurdles is unlikely to stop fraud - fraudsters will still find ways to fake paperwork. It will, however, disproportionately hurt working New Yorkers who live under the poverty line, who may not understand the new requirements or don't have time for even more tasks in between work and taking care of their families.

As Thanksgiving nears and we look towards an uncertain future for so many vulnerable New Yorkers, my office remains committed to protecting public assistance programs from misuse while defending New Yorkers' access to the help they need. We will continue working with our state partners to strengthen safeguards, improve accuracy, demand accountability and root out fraud, but we will never lose sight of the fact that the measure of our state lies not just in how tightly we police our programs, but in how fiercely we protect those who depend on them. In this moment of federal failure, New York will once again do what it has always done best: stand up, step in, and move, as our state motto tells us, "ever upward" - together.

Lucy Lang is New York's 11th Inspector General and also serves as the New York State Welfare Inspector General. New Yorkers who suspect fraud or corruption in the welfare system should report it by calling 1-800-Do-Right.