Tri-County Press Conference to Address Significant SNAP Cost Shift

LOWVILLE, NY– Leaders from Lewis, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties will come together on Friday, September 11 at 1:00 PM for a tri-county press conference to discuss significant changes to the funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the financial impact these changes will have on local governments.

SNAP is a federal program that helps eligible individuals and families with low incomes buy food. Although the federal government pays for SNAP benefits, New York county Departments of Social Services handle much of the program’s local work. This includes processing applications, determining eligibility, checking information, renewing benefits and managing cases.

Beginning October 1, 2026, the federal government’s share of SNAP administrative costs will decrease from 50% to 25%. Under New York’s current funding structure, counties will be responsible for the remaining 75% of administrative costs, a significant increase from the current 50% local share.

Combined with the administrative cost shift, SNAP-related costs are projected to exceed $1.3 billion annually for counties and New York City, with the 57 counties outside New York City facing nearly $460 million in new annual SNAP costs alone.

For Lewis County alone, the change is expected to result in approximately $300,000 in additional costs that were not anticipated in the County’s budget.

Counties are also facing the possibility of additional costs tied to SNAP payment error rates. A SNAP payment error occurs when a household receives either more or less in benefits that it was eligible to receive and should not be confused with fraud. If those costs are passed on to counties under New York’s existing funding structure, the financial impact on local governments could increase significantly.

The tri-county press conference will provide an opportunity for leaders from all three counties to outline the local financial impacts, discuss their shared concerns and call attention to the challenges facing counties as the October 1 implementation date quickly approaches.

What: Tri-County Press Conference

When: September 11, 2026

Time: 1:00 PM

Location: Gouverneur Community Center, 4673 State Highway 58, Gouverneur, NY 13642