LiveOn NY Statement on SNAP Cuts and Resources for Advocates

LiveOn NY calls on federal government to release contingency funds to fully fund SNAP

New York, NY – Currently, SNAP benefits will not be available for New Yorkers on November 1st due to the federal shutdown. No solution has been proposed to fully guarantee that funds will be available for the 3 million New Yorkers, 21% of whom are age 60 or older, who rely on SNAP for their daily meals. While the state of New York has appropriately declared a state of emergency, advancing over $100 million to fund parallel food assistance programs and distributing food to children at school, many older New Yorkers will have to make untenable decisions to afford their food. LiveOn NY issued the following statement:

“It is outrageous that 3 million New Yorkers’ meals – which have already been paid for – are being withheld as part of the political brinksmanship going on in the Capitol,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director at LiveOn NY. “These are not intellectual concerns or soundbites for TV. We’re talking about older and marginalized New Yorkers who are going to have to choose between meals and rent. This cannot continue, and federal officials must release contingency funds to ensure that we have the meals we need.” 

LiveOn NY is advocating for federal, state and city officials to:

  • Immediately release the $5-6 billion in SNAP contingency funds to New York State to ensure that a larger portion of November benefits can be funded.

  • Transfer additional funds to cover the remainder of the $2-3 billion shortfall, following the precedent set in October to fund WIC benefits.

  • Fully fund and utilize the aging service system to ensure that senior center meals and home-delivered meals are available to older New Yorkers who need them.

Here are resources for older New Yorkers and advocates:

NYC Food maps:

The latest on SNAP: 

Relevant news articles:

LiveOn NY’s Age Strong campaign is continuing its advocacy for New Yorkers at the state and city level, calling for bold investments in affordable housing, food and nutrition, and community infrastructure to allow New Yorkers to age in dignity.

LiveOn NY will continue to monitor the situation to keep providers and advocates informed as details emerge. More information on LiveOn NY can be found at our website: www.liveon-ny.org/. 

If you would like more information, please contact Frank Shintaro McMullin, Communications Specialist at LiveOn NY, at fmcmullin@liveon-ny.org or at (408) 620-0694.

LiveOn NY Statement on Government Shutdown and Resources for Advocates

New York, NY – As of October 3, the federal government is still shut down. While the majority of funding for older adult services has already been disbursed, federal funding will be drastically impacted if the shutdown extends for a month. LiveOn NY issued the following statement on the shutdown:

“Decisions being made in our capital are jeopardizing older New Yorkers’ health and safety – from access to healthcare and food to the programs that keep them in their homes,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director at LiveOn NY. “It is unacceptable that, as always, older adults, workers, and marginalized communities are the ones having to bear the weight of funding fights. Congress must prioritize a budget that fully funds critical older adult services and gives Americans the support they need to age in their communities.”

Here’s what older New Yorkers and advocates need to know about key federally-funded programs:

  • Area Agencies on Aging: AAAs throughout the state will not be affected by the shutdown until after December.

  • Direct Benefits for Older Adults: The shutdown will not affect the payment of cash assistance, unemployment, Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.

    • Social Security offices will not be able to provide benefit letters or earning statements during the shutdown.

  • SNAP: The October allotment will not be affected, but future allotments may be. 92% of USDA staff will be furloughed, which will likely affect New York State’s cost burden. People should continue to apply for benefits and recipients should continue to recertify. More info here.

  • Hospital at Home Program: The Medicare-sponsored HAH telehealth program is directly affected: hospitals have been forced to discharge patients due to the shutdown, leaving many seniors without telehealth services.

  • WIC: The program will continue, but may be affected later in the year.

As the forecast of federal budget cuts remains unclear, LiveOn NY’s Age Strong campaign is redoubling its advocacy for New Yorkers at the state and city level, calling for bold investments in affordable housing, food and nutrition, and community infrastructure to allow New Yorkers to age in dignity.

LiveOn NY will continue to monitor the situation to keep providers and advocates informed as details emerge.

LiveOn NY and Cornell Weill Researchers Put Seniors In Focus During Climate Week

Advocates Partner To Center Older Adults, Who Are Overwhelmingly The Most Vulnerable Population To Climate Change

On September 26, LiveOn NY, a leading advocate for older adults in New York, joined researchers from the Cornell Initiative for Research on Climate and Aging (CIRCA) for a virtual roundtable discussion during Climate Week examining the often-overlooked risks that older adults face due to climate change. The webinar took place as part of the New York Climate and Aging Action Network (NY-CAAN), a collaboration between LiveOn NY, the New York Academy of Medicine, and CIRCA. 

“We are aging more than ever, and so it’s more important than ever to include older people in climate discussions,” said Allison Nickerson, Executive Director at LiveOn NY. “The goal of NY-CAAN is to create evidence-based, common-sense policy and infrastructure solutions to protect us all as we get older.”

The panel explored how older adults face uniquely higher risks of negative health outcomes, financial strain and negative mental health impacts. It went on to discuss how the majority of natural disaster-related casualties and injuries are suffered by older adults, reinforcing the importance of centering older voices when identifying potential solutions.

“Climate change poses unique risks for older adults: we get more vulnerable to heat as we age, and disasters can interrupt critical care services,” said Karl Pillemer, Co-Director at the Cornell Initiative for Research on Climate and Aging. “This led to over 50% of deaths during Hurricane Sandy being older adults, underscoring the need for senior-focused policy solutions to address the climate crisis.” 

NY-CAAN outlined multiple priorities over the next year of its partnership:

  • Identifying policy recommendations for senior-focused solutions to the climate crisis

  • A climate summit to ensure that the community most vulnerable to climate change has a voice in the discussion

  • Coalition-building across sectors, including aging advocates, academics, elected officials and community partners, as part of LiveOn NY’s Age Strong initiative

  • Provide advocates with political power-mapping to make advocacy more effective

More information on LiveOn NY can be found at our website: www.liveon-ny.org/. The webinar can be found here.

If you would like more information, please contact Frank Shintaro McMullin, Communications Specialist at LiveOn NY, at fmcmullin@liveon-ny.org or at (408) 620-0694.

LiveOn NY & Age Strong NY Campaign Celebrates Restored Funding for Older Adult Services in New City Budget

LiveOn NY & Age Strong NY Campaign Celebrates Restored Funding for Older Adult Services in New City Budget

LiveOn NY and community organizations in the Age Strong NY campaign celebrated the passage of a revised New York City Budget, which restores funding to critical infrastructure and programs for older adults, and averted the closure of 90 older adult centers, and averted the closure of 90 older adult centers.  

LiveOn NY Delivers Petition Signatures of 8000+ New Yorkers Calling for Investments in Aging Services

8,000 CONCERNED NEW YORKERS CALL ON ERIC ADAMS TO INVEST $622 MILLION FOR AGING SERVICES IN CITY BUDGET


NEW YORK, NY — Today, LiveOn NY was joined by advocacy groups and seniors across New York to hand-deliver a petition to Mayor Eric Adams calling on the Mayor to invest $622 million for aging services in the city budget. The petition, which earned almost 8,000 signatures in less than a week, calls for renewed investments in the city’s network of Older Adult Centers, as well as an expanded social safety net for seniors and dedicated funds to ensure seniors have access to food.  

SEE ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS HERE

“In the face of devastating federal cuts to Medicaid and social programs, Mayor Eric Adams must use this year’s budget to deliver critical funding for our city’s aging services,” said Kevin Kiprovski, LiveOn NY Director of Public Policy. “Seniors are facing impossibly high costs, from medicine to groceries — and it’s only getting worse. As the federal government moves to take millions of dollars in healthcare funding away, potentially devastating the over 57 percent of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid, Mayor Adams must stand up for New York’s older adults. Over 7,000 of us have called on Mayor Adams to invest $622 million in making the lives of our seniors easier; now, it’s on him to listen.”

“New York City’s older adult services are essential for the health, independence, and well-being of hundreds of thousands of older adults,” said Beth Finkel, State Director of AARP New York. “More than 5,000 petitions make one thing clear: New Yorkers are demanding action. From expanded home-delivered meals to adequate case management and safe, modern Older Adult Centers, this $622 million investment is about ensuring our city meets the needs of a rapidly growing aging population. The Mayor must act now to build a city where every New Yorker can age with dignity.”

“Every New Yorker deserves to age with stability and dignity in their community. Investments in aging services are essential. It’s critical for Mayor Adams to invest in and expand older adult centers and case management services and address food insecurity,” said Susan Stamler, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses. “UNH is proud to stand with older adults, including those from the settlement house network in the AgeStrong NYC campaign as we fight for these vital investments.”

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