Social Services director warns federal budget changes will shift costs and workloads to counties

The Department of Social Services told the Human Services Committee that proposed federal budget and policy changes would shift both administrative work and benefit costs to local counties, with particular impacts for SNAP (food assistance), HEAP (heating assistance) and Medicaid programs.

Jenny Jones, director of Lewis County Department of Social Services, summarized several changes she said will materially affect the county’s operations and finances. Jones said the federal share of SNAP administrative costs will fall from 50% to 25% in October 2026, a change she estimated would increase county administrative costs by about $165,000. “The federal share is going to drop from 50% of my administrative costs to only covering 25% of my administrative costs in October ’26,” she told the committee.

Jones also described an expected “benefit cost shift” for SNAP beginning in federal fiscal year 2028 that could require states — and then counties — to cover part of benefit costs based on quality metrics; Jones estimated an additional local exposure of roughly $310,000 under that change. She said Lewis County currently administers more than 1,500 SNAP cases covering nearly 3,000 people and that the county distributed about $5.6 million in SNAP benefits last year.

Other changes Jones described include the elimination of SNAP education funding (affecting Cornell Cooperative Extension contracts), adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan that may reduce benefit levels by about $1.40 per person per day, and alterations to immigrant eligibility categories. She said HEAP funding appropriations remain uncertain and that some heating‑related programs such as repair/replacement, cooling assistance and heat‑related eligibility tools could be at risk depending on final federal appropriations.

On Medicaid, Jones warned of multiple proposed changes: more frequent eligibility redeterminations (every six months rather than annually), new work requirements for some adults, potential cost sharing measures and a reduction of retroactive coverage from 90 days to 30 days — an alteration she said could have significant financial consequences for people who need immediate skilled nursing or hospital care. Jones noted Lewis County had roughly 6,700 Medicaid enrollees overall, including about 2,000 cases administered directly by DSS.

Jones closed by urging committee members to anticipate greater administrative workloads and more local fiscal pressure if the federal changes proceed, and to expect evolving program guidance from state and federal agencies as final rules are adopted.