It's the Brian Lear Show. I'm producer Amina Serna filling in for Brian today.

There are some pretty big changes underway for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

That's what used to be called food stamps. As part of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act,

funding is cut and there are new work requirements. If you are currently receiving SNAP benefits,

you've probably had to do some paperwork to make sure you can keep your eligibility.

We'll start seeing the effects and finding out how many people weren't able to qualify as the three-month implementation period ends tomorrow, May 1st, in New Jersey, with New York's following in a month on June 1st.

Joining me now with more information on what's changing and how people can avoid being dropped is my colleague Karen Yee, who reports on homelessness and poverty here at WMIC and Gothamist.

Hey, Karen.

Hey, Amina.

So let's start with how many people are currently receiving SNAP benefits in the two states or in the metro area if you have that.

Yes. So in New York State, there's about 3 million recipients. In the city specifically, there's 1.8 million recipients, and that's about 1.5 New Yorkers.

In New Jersey, it's about 850,000 SNAP recipients, and that's about one in eight

residents. And I'll also say that, you know, when we think about SNAP, there's a lot of kids

that rely on SNAP. At least here in the city, it's almost half a million children that rely on

SNAP. A lot of people also who are seniors and have a disability.

This is a federal program, but states run it.

So should recipients have been hearing from their local service agencies if their benefits are at risk?

Yes.

So, you know, the HR1 that implemented the series of new work requirements that everyone is sort of rushing to figure out what it means and who is eligible, that happened last summer.

And there's been sort of a lot of back and forth as to when it would be implemented.

But after we figured out a date, the state of New York City and New Jersey and their sort of local service districts. For us,

it's New York City, and then in New Jersey it's your local county. They've sort of been rushing

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