The number of New York City residents who collected welfare reached a record high in 2025, according to a review of city records.
Conducted by Fox News, the review found that 864,999 New Yorkers collected welfare in 2025. This marked a 30-year high not seen since before former Mayor Rudy Giuliani enacted welfare reform in the early 2000s.
Combined, the nearly one million welfare recipients collected $2.6 billion in taxpayer funds last year, up 71 percent from the $1.57 billion collected in 2022.
– : ,
New York City just quietly blew past a benchmark it hasn’t touched in three decades. City records reviewed by the New York Post show… pic.twitter.com/lteQ6TJkUU
— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) July 20, 2026
New York City’s third-world mayor, Zohran Mamdani, appears to be happy about these otherwise outrageous numbers. On June 1, his office posted a note celebrating how he’d supposedly helped “223,000 New Yorkers maintain access to” Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
His office also vowed to get even more people on the dole.
“Beginning this month, the administration is expanding a citywide canvassing and phone-banking effort to reach the remaining New Yorkers still at risk of losing food assistance,” the office noted.
The office also attacked the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for daring to kick lazy able-bodied adults off federal welfare assistance.
“The federal legislation known as H.R. 1 is one of the most significant attacks on the social safety net in recent memory,” they wrote. “The law eliminated automatic work requirement exemptions for homeless people, veterans and young adults formerly in foster care. These changes do not address unemployment; they make it harder for people to access food.”
Mamdani personally issued a statement also decrying the bill.
“Food stamp work requirements don’t create jobs, they create hunger,” he alleged. “If the federal government wanted to help people find work, it would invest in public jobs programs and guarantee a living wage. Instead, it’s punishing people who are already struggling to survive.”
“Here in New York, we refuse to stand by while Washington takes food away from our families. We are using every tool available to keep New Yorkers connected to the benefits they deserve,” he added.
Food stamp work requirements don’t create jobs, they create hunger.
If the federal government wanted to help people find work, it would invest in public jobs programs and guarantee a living wage.
Instead, it’s punishing people who are already struggling to survive.
These… https://t.co/bMm9Q0na81
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) May 20, 2026
Critics pushed back hard on the envy and resentment he was preaching.
“Food stamp work requirements don’t create hunger; they end the free ride for able-bodied adults who’d rather scroll TikTok than flip burgers 20 hours a week,” one critic opined on social media. “Exemptions already cover the disabled, elderly, and parents.”
“Your ‘public jobs & living wage’ fantasy is just more taxpayer-funded sloth that NYC can’t afford. Work or starve? Nah. Work and eat like the rest of us, champ,” they added.
“The work requirement is 20 [hours] PER WEEK,” another critic wrote. “People over 65, people with dependents & the disabled are exempt. Any able bodied person who’s unwilling to 20 hours a week is a deadbeat who should not get others hard earned money.”
There is no such thing as a “living wage.” It’s ridiculous that you communists keep using that term.
— Karen Kennedy (@realkarenjean) May 20, 2026
Your pathetic socialist agenda is just taking money from people who worked hard their own lives!!!! Besides being a rabid Jew hater you are trying to steal all of our money. Literally you need to be removed you bastard.
— Robin jack (@proudmomjac) May 20, 2026
Your city is filthy. Use that work requirement to pick up the trash on the streets. Remove the graffitti. Set some rat traps. And pressure wash the sidewalks.
You will be giving people purpose, pride in the place they live, AND food.
— Cougar (@Cougar_Laymon) May 20, 2026
Comrade Mamdani, I think you’re forgetting what V.I. Lenin said on the issue: “He who does not work, shall not eat.” For some reason you’re advocating for people that Lenin famously characterized as “a parasite on the body of society.” Looks like you’ve been subverted.
— AB Interceptor (@ABInterceptor) May 20, 2026
How to scare a communist 101 pic.twitter.com/5nZKfPoDfQ
— themoderateman (@themoderateman9) May 20, 2026
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.