Eligibility is based on household size, income, and household expenses. You are not required to screen for eligibility before applying for SNAP.
If you receive SSI/Disability benefits, you can still qualify for SNAP. Receiving SNAP does not reduce your SSI/Disability payments.
If you are a caregiver who is not a foster parent but are financially responsible for a child or children in your care, you may be eligible for SNAP.
You are not required to be fingerprinted to get SNAP.
Download a list of eligibility requirements and necessary documents.
Use the ACCESS NYC eligibility screener.
Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) Work Requirements
Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirements are currently waived until September 30, 2022.
You must submit a SNAP application form and required documents to apply or recertify for SNAP benefits. A simplified SNAP application form is available for households where no one in the household has earned income and every person has a disability or is age 60 or older.
You can submit your SNAP application form to the Human Resources Administration (HRA) online, by fax, by mail, or in person. The quickest way to apply or recertify for SNAP benefits is online.
You can also get help filing your application form at a SNAP Center or with a participating Community Based Organization (CBO).
Get an Application
Online
Download a SNAP application from HRA's website in the "How to Apply" section.
In Person
You can pick up an application from any SNAP Center. Find a SNAP Center near you.
By Phone
You can get help filing your SNAP application and submitting your required documents by visiting a SNAP Center or a participating Community Based Organization (CBO).
SNAP Center
All SNAP Centers are accessible for people who use wheelchairs.
Community Based Organization (CBO)
Community Based Organizations can help you complete SNAP applications and screen you for eligibility. Some locations can also help you submit your documents to HRA electronically.
You can get more information by contacting a Community Based Organization listed below. The hours of operation for these sites may change.
You may be required to have a telephone eligibility interview if you are applying or recertifying for SNAP benefits. HRA will call you if you need an eligibility interview to give more information or documents.
If HRA has all the information they need to make a decision on your application, you will not need an eligibility interview and you will not get a call from HRA.
In-person interview appointments at SNAP Centers are not available at this time.
Standard Processing
To help process your application faster, please submit as many documents proving your eligibility with your application or as soon as you can. The Human Resources Administration (HRA) will review your application and the documents you sent when they are received, and may call you for an eligibility interview over the phone.
If you are eligible for SNAP, you will receive them within 30 days. In some cases, you can get benefits sooner.
Expedited Processing
Expedited processing allows eligible people to get SNAP benefits within 5 days. If you qualify, you will get an interview within 2 days.
You may be eligible if one of the following apply:
Receiving an EBT Card
Applicants who have been approved for SNAP benefits will receive an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card in the mail.
If your EBT card is lost, stolen, defective, or never received, you can request a permanent EBT card online or by phone. You can also pick up a temporary EBT card at your nearest Job Center.
If you make your request online or by phone, it will take from 7 to 10 business days for your permanent EBT card to arrive. Permanent EBT cards can only be mailed to the address on record.
For more information, visit the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card page.
Applicants and participants can find out their SNAP case status online or by phone.
Online
Create or log into your account on the ACCESS HRA website or the ACCESS HRA Mobile App.
Phone
SNAP Periodic Report
All SNAP households that are due to return a Periodic Report in January, February, or March 2022 will not have their case closed for failure to return the report. Any Periodic Reports returned will be evaluated to see if you can get more benefits based on any changes you report.
HRA will not lower or stop your benefits based on a submitted Periodic Report. You can also use the Periodic Report to tell HRA if your address has changed. Starting in April 2022, households will be expected to return their mailer.
You can submit your Periodic Report using the ACCESS HRA website or the ACCESS HRA Mobile App.
Reporting Changes on a Current SNAP Case
If you receive SNAP benefits and have lost your job or had a change in your income, please submit a Case Change request using the ACCESS HRA website. You do not need to submit a new application or visit an office. You will need to submit documents to prove the change you report, which you can do using the Document Upload feature on the ACCESS HRA Mobile App.
If, however, you are due to recertify your SNAP benefits in the next 75 days, you must report the change as part of your recertification. You will be prevented from submitting a Case Change on the ACCESS HRA website during this period.
Learn about the documents you can use and the ways to submit them.
Get more information about COVID-19 and your HRA benefits.
Keep Your Information Up-to-Date
It's very important that HRA has your current contact information.
The quickest way to view your case information and update or correct it is by using the ACCESS HRA website or mobile app. You can also submit updates and corrections by fax, by mail, or in person.
Online
Use the ACCESS HRA website or the ACCESS HRA Mobile App.
By Fax
(917) 639-2544
By Mail
Centralized Recertification Mail Unit
P.O. Box 29008
Brooklyn, NY 11202
In Person
You can visit any SNAP center. Find a SNAP Center near you.
If you are 60 or older, you can get help applying for SNAP by phone.
You must:
If you have a disability, medical condition, or mental health condition that makes it hard for you to apply for or get SNAP benefits, you can request a reasonable accommodation.
By Email
ConstituentAffairs@dss.nyc.gov
By Fax
(212) 331-4685
By Mail
Office of Constituent Services
150 Greenwich Street, 35th Floor
New York, NY 10007
By Phone
SNAP Benefits Effective October 2021
A federal increase to the maximum SNAP benefit amount went into effect for all households that receive SNAP benefits on October 1, 2021.
You do not need to submit an application or request this increased amount. Your budget was automatically recalculated and a higher amount will automatically be added to your Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. If you have income in your household, you may get less than the maximum.
The maximum SNAP benefit amount per household size is as follows:
| Household Size | Maximum SNAP Amount |
| 1 | $250 |
| 2 | $459 |
| 3 | $658 |
| 4 | $835 |
| 5 | $992 |
| 6 | $1,190 |
| 7 | $1,316 |
| 8 | $1,504 |
| Each additional member | + $188 |
The minimum monthly SNAP benefit amount for eligible one- and two-person households is $20.
Benefit Schedules
The day your benefits are available to you is known as your benefit schedule. This day may change from month to month and from year to year.
You can check your current schedule by phone. You will need to provide your 19-digit card number.
SNAP benefits can be used to buy:
SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy:
You can make a complaint about SNAP, including:
Online
Fill out a complaint form online.
By Phone
On April 18, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began the SNAP online purchasing pilot.
SNAP households with electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards will be able to use their benefits to purchase eligible food items.
SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay for service or delivery charges.
Find participating stores and get more information about the SNAP online purchasing pilot.
Read the USDA press release about the SNAP online purchasing pilot.
Be aware of a scam using texting to obtain your personal information. The text might say you were chosen to receive food stamps or SNAP.
If you are a New York City resident and do not know if a request for information about SNAP is real or not, contact HRA by phone.
Never share personal information with individuals or organizations that you do not know. Personal information includes your social security number, bank information, or SNAP electronic benefits transfer card or PIN number. If you think the text is a scam, do not reply at all. Just delete the message.
If you gave your personal information using the link in the text, you should file an Identity Theft report.
