Chautauqua County holds emergency session as SNAP benefits pause; staff to evaluate voucher model with regional food bank

Chautauqua County legislators met Nov. 5 for an emergency session to review interruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the federally funded Heating Assistance Program (HEAP) after a federal funding disruption. County Executive told the body the state and counties cannot legally or financially absorb the full shortfall and urged calm communication: "We need to stop the misinformation, the gaslighting, and fear mongering."

County staff and agency directors detailed contingency plans and limits. Carmelo Hernandez, commissioner of mental hygiene and social services, said the state will manually adjust SNAP records and issue mass communications to recipients once the federal formula is determined: "People will get benefits, this month. There will be a mass communication that will come out." He also said HEAP — described as 100% federally funded — was delayed from Nov. 17 to Nov. 24.

Dana Corwin, director of the Office for Aging, described existing meal programs for older adults and emergency supplies the county can deploy; she reported 4,367 SNAP recipients age 60 or…