New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $234 million in federal funding to provide all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with additional food assistance.
The funding will allow all New York households participating in SNAP — a federally funded program that provides benefits to help New Yorkers with food purchases — to receive at least $95 in supplemental benefits, on top of the benefits they would already be receiving this month.
Governor Hochul said the supplemental benefits should help New York residents in need this holiday season.
"These additional benefits have continued to help struggling New Yorkers keep themselves and their families fed throughout the pandemic and now in the face of higher grocery prices due to global inflation," Hochul said.
"The $234 million for SNAP will provide relief to New Yorkers in need during the holiday season and cold winter months when household budgets are especially strained."
Hochul said that more than 1.6 million households, including over 2.8 million people, in New York have relied on SNAP — as of October of this year. This total was an increase of 2.2% from the previous year around the same time.
SNAP is overseen by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Back in April 2020, OTDA started providing emergency supplemental food benefits to participating households receiving less than the maximum benefit amount per month.
Following the expiration of the state's emergency declaration back in June 2021, OTDA worked with the federal government to ensure that all SNAP households would receive the maximum benefit allotment until the expiration of the federal declaration of public health emergency in January 2023.
OTDA will continue to issue the maximum allotment to households through February 2023.
Governor Hochul says households within NYC enrolled in SNAP should see their extra benefits by Dec. 28.
