Governor Hochul Announces $234 Million in Additional Food Assistance for June

 

All SNAP Households to Receive the Maximum Level of Food Benefits This Month

Supplemental Food Benefits Help Nearly 2.8 Million New Yorkers Avoid Food Insecurity

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for June. 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.  

"Far too many households continue to grapple with food insecurity, and in many instances these struggles are a direct result of the economic toll inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic," Governor Hochul said. "As we continue to build back our state's economy better than it was before, these maximum food benefits will help put food on New Yorkers' tables, while also providing local retailers and related businesses with a welcome infusion of capital." 

The emergency assistance supplement is provided to all households, including those that ordinarily receive the maximum allowable benefit per month on SNAP, a federally funded program overseen by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Those 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 Friday, June 17. Those SNAP households in the five-county New York City region should see their benefits post between Friday, June 17, and Thursday, June 30.  

SNAP plays an important role in New York's ongoing economic recovery and has injected over $1 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 benefits are also a critical lifeline for New Yorkers in need, as about 14 percent 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 percent included an adult over the age of 55 or someone who was disabled. 

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 successfully worked with the federal government to secure the maximum allotment for all SNAP households until the expiration of the federal declaration, which is now expected to extend until October.  

New Yorkers continued to rely heavily on SNAP this spring, with more than 1.6 million households, including more than 2.8 million New Yorkers, throughout the state enrolled in the program in April.

New York City saw a slight decline in the number of SNAP recipients in April, after four consecutive months of increases. About 1.7 million people living in the five-borough area were part of a SNAP household in April. 

In contrast, areas outside of New York City have observed a steady rise in the number of SNAP recipients since August 2021. As of April, about 1.1 million people living outside of the five-county metropolitan areas were part of a SNAP household. 

The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, "The maximum food benefits have played a critical role in helping New Yorkers avoid food insecurity throughout the pandemic, and that carries on today as our economy continues to mend. These additional benefits are providing individuals and families across the state with the resources they need to put healthy, nutritious food on the table each month, as we collectively recover from the public health crisis." 

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.