All SNAP Households to Receive at Least the Maximum Level of Food Benefits for December
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 December. All households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – 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.
“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,” Governor 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.”
The emergency assistance supplement will be provided to all households receiving SNAP, a federally funded program overseen by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). All households, including those already receiving the maximum benefit for the household’s size and households that formerly would have received a monthly supplement of less than $95, will receive a supplement of at least $95.
SNAP households in all counties outside of New York City should see these extra benefits post by Thursday, December 22. Those SNAP households in New York City should see their benefits post by Wednesday, December 28.
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 of a public health emergency, which was extended until January and will enable OTDA to continue issuing these benefits through February.
New Yorkers continue to rely heavily on SNAP, with more than 1.6 million households, including more than 2.8 million New Yorkers, throughout the state enrolled in the program in October. While SNAP recipients statewide were flat compared to September, they were up 2.2 percent over October 2021, highlighting the continuing demand for these critical benefits.
