Hochul announces $234 million in additional food assistance for September

All SNAP households to receive maximum level of food benefits for September

√ Supplemental food benefits expected to continue through November

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for September. All households participating in SNAP – including those already at the maximum level of benefits – will receive a supplemental allotment this month, resulting in a roughly $234 million infusion of federal funding into the New York state economy.

"Too many hardworking New Yorkers continue to feel the effects of the pandemic – struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table," Hochul said. "My administration will continue taking action to support our most vulnerable communities, and the $234 million in SNAP benefits announced today will provide the necessary funding to ensure hundreds of thousands of New York households avoid food insecurity."

The emergency assistance supplement will be provided to all households, including those that ordinarily receive the maximum allowable benefit per month, receiving SNAP, a federally funded program overseen by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Households already near or at the maximum benefit level – $835 for a household of four – will receive a supplemental payment of at least $95.

SNAP households in all counties outside of New York City should see these extra benefits post between today, and Monday, Sept. 26. Those SNAP households in the five-county New York City region should see their benefits post between Friday, Sept. 16, and Thursday, Sept. 29.

OTDA began issuing the emergency supplemental benefits in April 2020 to those SNAP households receiving less than the maximum monthly benefit amount. When New York state's emergency declaration expired in June 2021, the agency worked with the federal government to secure the maximum allotment for all SNAP households until the expiration of the federal declaration of a public health emergency, which was extended until October and will enable OTDA to continue issuing these benefits through November.

Hochul’s team said, “New Yorkers continued to rely heavily on SNAP this summer, with more than 1.6 million households, including more than 2.8 million New Yorkers, throughout the state enrolled in the program in July. While SNAP recipients statewide remained relatively flat compared to June, they were up 3% over July 2021, highlighting the continuing demand for these critical benefits.”

New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, "These supplemental payments have increased SNAP recipients' purchasing power at a time when struggling families are confronting higher prices at the grocery store. This assistance is helping spur New York's continuing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by helping New Yorkers put healthy food on the table."

U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat said, "Gov. Hochul's announcement today of additional food assistance for households participating in SNAP is a win for working families and strengthens our efforts to support those who are most in need throughout our communities and around the state. Providing this much-needed relief to the 1.6 million households that are enrolled will help ensure families are able to make ends meet and have the support they need and deserve."

Hochul’s team said, “SNAP plays an important role in New York's ongoing economic recovery and has injected more than $1.6 billion into the state's economy since January. Every federal dollar invested by SNAP generates up to $1.54 in economic activity, according to a federal study quantifying the impact of SNAP on the U.S. economy.

“These supplemental benefits are also a critical lifeline for New Yorkers in need, as about 14% of the state's population relied on SNAP benefits last year, according to a recent study. More than half of recipient households were families with children and about 48% included an adult over the age of 55 or a person with a disability.”

As with the prior months, the payments will be delivered directly to recipients' existing Electronic Benefit Transfer accounts and can be accessed with their existing EBT cards. Like regular SNAP benefits, the supplemental benefits can be used to purchase food at authorized retail food stores. Any unused SNAP benefits will automatically carry over to the following month.

Find more information on the emergency supplemental SNAP benefits, including answers to frequently asked questions, here. New Yorkers interested in enrolling can check their SNAP eligibility, as well as apply online, by visiting mybenefits.ny.gov.