ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for July.
The agency is working with the federal government to ensure aid, which has brought in more than $2.5 billion in food assistance to New Yorkers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. The governor said the program will continue beyond July.
“The pandemic exposed glaring inequalities in food access across the state and only made it harder for the many families who were already struggling with food insecurity,” Cuomo said. “By providing SNAP recipients with the maximum benefits possible, we are working to ensure every New Yorker can put food on the table during their time in need.”
SNAP households already receiving the maximum monthly benefit, and those that had been receiving an emergency allotment of less than $95 per month, will receive a minimum supplement of $95. Nearly 1.6 million households in New York State will receive the supplemental benefits later this month, which will result in the state receiving roughly $200 million in federal assistance.
SNAP households in all counties outside of New York City should see these benefits post starting today. Those SNAP households in the five-county New York City region should see their benefits post between July 19 and the end of the month.
As with the prior months, the payments will be delivered directly to recipients’ existing Electronic Benefit Transfer account and can be accessed with their existing EBT card. Like regular SNAP benefits, the supplemental benefits can be used to purchase food at authorized retail food stores. Any unused SNAP benefits will be automatically carried over to the following month.
Struggling New Yorkers continue to rely heavily on SNAP as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As of April 2021, there were more than 2.8 million SNAP recipients throughout the state, a 5 percent increase from April 2020.
Mike Hein, Commissioner of OTDA, said, “As our state continues to mend from the social and economic devastation waged by the pandemic, it is critical that struggling New Yorkers have the resources they can use to avoid food insecurity. These additional food benefits will help these individuals and families put healthy, nutritious food on the table as we collectively begin to recover from this public health crisis.”
For more information on the emergency supplemental SNAP benefits, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit OTDA’s website. New Yorkers can check their eligibility for SNAP and apply online at mybenefits.ny.com.
