If you apply for benefits and are eligible, you will receive a notice. The move will result in an infusion of $234 million in federal funding into New York’s economy this month.Īll households will receive a supplement of at least $95, according to Hochul’s statement. Your application must be reviewed by IDHS staff at the Family Community Resource Center. The emergency assistance supplement will be provided to all households receiving SNAP, which is a federally funded program overseen by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). You might also be eligible for SNAP (food stamps) and other benefits from HRA. Everyone is eligible for food assistance, regardless of immigration status or how much money you have. “With these emergency supplemental benefits ending, we will continue to focus our efforts protecting New Yorkers who are struggling to feed themselves and their families by expanding eligibility and maximizing assistance through SNAP.” Use the Food Help NYC map or call 311 to find your closest food pantry and community kitchen. “In addition to SNAP, these monthly benefits have proven to be invaluable to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers dealing with food insecurity throughout the pandemic,” Hochul said. New federal legislation passed at the end of 2022 forced the state to end the supplemental benefits that were issued monthly to aid New Yorkers in the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic no later than February. More information about SNAP services can be found here.Thousands of NY families victims of EBT card skimming The more local a contact you can find, the more info you’ll get on a given program. Many of the programs available are federally or state-regulated, but are locally or regionally operated. A great resource in the Empire State is 211, where anything from SNAP to other financial aid programs can get people out of that spot with some effort. The decision to pay your rent, have internet or feed your family is a choice that many families have had to make. "Sure, I mean there's a lot of programs that are available to help households," Rybicki added. "We had food insecurity in our community prior to the pandemic and we have food insecurity after the pandemic," Rybicki said. "So folks need to look at that."ĭespite the available assistance, a serious need remains. ![]() It's not designed to provide 100% of the food needs for a household," said Rybikci. ![]() "The Food Stamp Program is a supplemental program. ![]() Those hurting in other areas can look into affordable connectivity, home energy assistance and other programs where financial aid across the board can help the greater need because SNAP was always a piece of the puzzle. With SNAP being cut dramatically, people will now need to look at food banks and community pantries. Nobody - the person behind you in line doesn't necessarily know what you're paying for your groceries with." "Now most people, or a lot of people I should say, shop with a debit card or credit card and EBT card. Required documents for your SNAP (Food Stamps) or Cash Assistance (CA) case or Fair Fares NYC application. "That stigma has been removed," said Rybicki. With ACCESS HRA you can view: SNAP (Food Stamps) / Cash Assistance (CA) case status. People from all walks of life need the help and it’s becoming more of the norm for thousands in New York. "If you want to go online at 3 o'clock in the morning and screen yourself or file an application, you certainly can do that," said Rybicki. Gone are the days when people had to stand in line at the social services office. Over the years it has become easier to apply. "I would encourage anyone who thinks that they may need additional assistance or that they may be eligible for the programs to file an application." "A lot of the folks that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs are working families," said Rybicki. The need of those utilizing the program growing, as is the diversity in the backgrounds of those seeking assistance. "So we have seen an increase in the number of households that have applied for programs," Rybicki said.Īcross the U.S., 38 million people have met the need for SNAP, applied and received benefits in 2019 alone. That means more work for social services offices on all levels across New York and the country. "We've seen increases in prices of housing, increases in prices and food." "Since the pandemic, we've seen more people that are struggling with the ability to pay their rent," said Karen Rybicki, first deputy commissioner for Erie County Social Services. It’s important to note that the SNAP program was never designed to sustain a household by itself, however, with all of the difficulties people have endured over the last three years, it's understandable that the drop in support is hard for some families. ![]() The benefits have gone back to pre-pandemic levels, leaving many families across the Empire State needing more. We’re officially in a new era of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
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