Am I Taking Snap Benefits Away From Someone By Applying
No. SNAP is an entitlement program, which means that if you qualify, you are entitled to the benefit.
Also, you will not be taking away benefits from someone else if you get SNAP benefits.
Additionally, because it is an entitlement program, SNAP is really responsive when a crisis like a recession or pandemic happens and more people need help.
The video below from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance provides an example of how SNAP can change the situation of a family for the better.
See how SNAP has helped this single mother of two and given her hope for the future.
What If I Am A College Student
To participate in SNAP, a student, in college at least half time, must meet the for SNAP and one of the following criteria:
- Be employed for an average of 20 hours per week and be paid for such employment or, if self-employed, be employed for an average of 20 hours per week and receive weekly earnings at least equal to the Federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours.
- Participate in a State or Federally financed work study program during the regular school year.
- Provide more than half the physical care for one or more dependent household members under the age of six or provide more than half the physical care of dependent household member who has reached the age of six but is under the age of 12 where adequate child care is not available.
- Enrolled full-time in an institution of higher education and is a single parent with responsibility for the care of a dependent child under age 12.
- Receive benefits from Family Assistance or federally-funded Safety Net Assistance .
- Receive Unemployment Benefits .
- Attend a SUNY or CUNY comprehensive college, technology college, or community college and are enrolled in a qualified career and technical education program.
- Attend any of the 10 Educational Opportunity Centers in New York State and are enrolled in a career and technical education program, remedial course, basic adult education, literacy, or English as a second language.
Returning Or Submitting Documents
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides food assistance for nearly 1.8 million low-income New Yorkers including families, people who are aging and people with disabilities. The program helps families and individuals supplement the cost of their diet with nutritious foods.
All Cash Assistance and SNAP applicants that have been approved for benefits will receive an EBT card in the mail. If your EBT card has not yet arrived, you can go to the Brooklyn OTC site for your permanent card, or one of seven open center locations for a temporary card that will have all benefits available until the EBT card arrives. Please see this list of locations.
Regarding case inquiries, HRA requires submitting a Client Consent Form to verify a client’s consent before releasing case information to a third party.
Please be aware that unscrupulous individuals may use COVID-19 as an opportunity to create a scam in order to steal your personal information. Learn more about this Potential Fraud Scam Alert.
Recommended Reading: Do Lidl Take Ebt
Emergency Food Benefits Are Available Through The Federal Snap Benefits Program
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a federal program, but each state has the flexibility to run their program how they choose. The term food stamps has now been replaced by SNAP benefits, and those benefits let people purchase food.
People have to apply online, and once theyre in the SNAP program, states will issue them SNAP benefits on a card known as the EBT card. That stands for the Electronic Benefit Transfer card. The EBT card can be scanned at any grocery store that is a participating SNAP store.
How To Apply For Food Stamps In New York
Candidates wondering how to apply for food stamps in New York must know they have various methods they may use in order to submit their claims. These options include:
- Submitting an online food stamps application using the states benefits portal.
- Returning a completed SNAP application to a SNAP Center or DSS.
- Mailing or faxing finished applications to the DSS.
In some cases, petitioners who are disabled or who meet qualifying criteria may have someone apply for food assistance for them. However, candidates must submit documentation that approves these third-party members to complete the enrollment process for them.
Once claimants decide if they want to apply for food stamps online or through another method, they must begin to prepare the documents they will need to complete their petitions. Generally, applicants should have the following information ready:
- Pay stubs they recently received from their employers.
- Household resources and collective assets.
- Home payment statements relating to rent payments or mortgages.
- Property tax payments for their homes.
- Home insurance payment information.
- Social Security cards to prove identity and residency.
You May Like: Apply For Food Stamps Houston Tx
How Soon Will I Recieve Snap After I Apply
What happens after I apply? When will I receive benefits?
After you apply for New York SNAP, the local DSS office has 30 days to give you a written decision explaining whether or not you are eligible for benefits.
If you are eligible, you will generally receive benefits retroactive to the date you filed your application.
Your monthly benefits will be provided to you on an Electronic Benefits Transfer card, which you can use to purchase food at approved grocery stores.
If you are denied benefits and you disagree with that determination, you can file a request for a fair hearing.
The denial form that is mailed to you will give you information about how to request a fair hearing.
How Recertification Works
Two months prior to the end of the re-certification period, you will receive a packet in the mail that includes a SNAP application and a scheduled interview appointment.
Each food stamp household is scheduled for a recertification interview at the end of the initial 12 month certification period in order to document changes in:
- Income
- Any other change in circumstances that may affect SNAP eligibility or degree of need.
SNAP recipients with earned income, however, are scheduled for a recertification interview every 6 months.
It is important to note that the ultimate responsibility rests with the SNAP household in reporting changes in a timely fashion.
Failure to comply in this regard, or intentionally withholding information, or filing a fraudulent application, may result in food stamp penalties, including a reduction in benefits, durational sanctions, or permanent disqualification.
You May Like: Does Omaha Steaks Accept Snap Benefits
What You Need To Apply
To be found eligible for SNAP you will need to prove the following:
- Your identity: such as a photo ID, drivers license, passport, naturalization certificate, or hospital records.
- Where you live: such as a statement from your landlord, current rent receipt, lease, or mortgage records.
- Your income : such as a recent pay stub, business records, current tax return, or an Unemployment Insurance Benefit statement.
- Citizenship or immigration status: such as your birth certificate, U.S. passport, or military service records.
- Receiving SNAP will not affect your immigration case or lead to deportation.
See the SNAP document guide to see what else you can use as proof.
Application Assistance Via Phone
You can request for the application form for the program by calling your nearest food stamp centre through the following number: 718-557-1399. By calling the number you will get the chance to talk to a New York Food Stamp program representative who will guide you through the application process.
BenefitsApplication.com is not a government website or a government agency. You typically must work directly with the government to qualify for your program or benefits. This website and its contents are for informational purposes only. We do not claim responsibility for its accuracy.
Also Check: Food Stamp Eligibility Wa State
What Happens After I Submit My Snap Application
After you submit your SNAP application, you will have a confidential interview with a caseworker.
Usually, you must appear in person for this interview but the in-person interview requirement can be waived under certain circumstances.
See below for more details.
During the interview, the caseworker will request any additional documentation needed to establish eligibility.
Once your eligibility for SNAP is established, you will receive an Electronic Benefit Transfer card .
You can use the EBT card to purchase food at any approved grocery store throughout the state.
How To Check Your Snap Application Status In New York
If you applied online, you may check you SNAP application status through the states official website. In order to do so, you will need to enter the login information you used when you first applied for benefits online.
If you did not apply online, you may be able to check your food stamp application status by calling the Department of Social Services office where you applied.
Recommended Reading: Food Stamp Application Oklahoma
What Information Do I Need To Submit A Food Stamps Application
In order for claimants to submit a food stamps application in their home states, they must first understand the documentation they will need to provide to their local governments. These proofs relate to various aspects of their candidacy, but they are all intended to validate whether or not claimants meet their states eligibility stipulations. Each state is responsible for establishing its own enrollment guidelines. However, these state-by-state prerequisites must be in concordance with the federal SNAP food stamps requirements. Generally, candidates hoping to apply for food stamps online or using a paper document must provide their departments with the following documentation:
Regardless of where candidates submit their food stamps application, they must remember that they will need to provide this information for every member of their family. This is due to the fact that SNAP is awarded to units. Failing to submit the necessary information may affect an individuals claim.
What Are The Required Documents That I Must Provide
When you apply for SNAP benefits in New York, you will be required to provide the following documents to support your application:
Identity
- Current drivers license or Department of Public Safety ID card.
- If a person has the right to act for you , that person also needs to give proof of identity.
Immigration status
- Resident card
- Arrival/ departure form
- Papers from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services .
Residence
Utility bill,New York Department of Public Safety IDRent Receipt
Proof of income from your job
- Last 3 pay stubs or paychecks
- A statement from your employer
- Self-employment records
- The most current statement for all accounts
Medical costs
- Signed statement from the person you pay
- A signed statement must show when and how much you pay
Child support anyone pays
Court papers that show what you must pay for child supportFor example: divorce decree, court order, or district clerk record
Child support anyone gets
- District clerk record
- Letter from the parent who pays showing how much, how often and the date it is usually paid
The letter must have the name, address, phone number, and signature of the parent who pays.
Read Also: Food Stamps In Pasadena Tx
Net Income Guidelines For Households With An Elderly Or Disabled Member
Households with any members who are age 60 or older and/or who receive certain disability benefits are not subject to a gross income limit.
For these households, eligibility is determined using net income, by applying all relevant exclusions and deductions to the households gross income.
For a detailed chart of the income limit by category, see our New York SNAP Income Limits Chart.
What Is Food Stamps In New York
Residents who have trouble affording groceries should consider applying for SNAP food benefits in New York. This public assistance initiative is in place for individuals and families who do not make much money each month. Petitioners who are successfully able to petition for and receive food stamps benefits are permitted to use these funds to buy qualifying food and beverages for their household members.
SNAP benefits in NY may be available to families consisting of employed adults, the elderly or disabled individuals. However, petitioners must be sure they meet the states financial income eligibility requirements. Once petitioners are accepted to receive food assistance benefits in New York, they may begin spending their monthly funds.
Also Check: How To Apply For Food Stamps In Cleveland Ohio
The Snap Program Helps Low
The SNAP program helps low-income working people, seniors and the disabled to put healthy food on the table. SNAP benefits are issued electronically on a monthly basis. SNAP eligibility is based on household income, household size and other factors.
Fulton County residents can apply on-line by logging onto: www.mybenefits.ny.gov. Applicants may also mail in their applications which may be obtained by calling 518-736-5600. Applicants can also apply in person at our department located at 4 Daisy Lane, Johnstown during regular business hours.
If your household has little or no money and requires help right away, you may be able to receive expedited benefits to meet your food needs under SNAP. You must be interviewed for expedited SNAP benefits in order to determine eligibility and the need for the expedited benefits.
If you qualify, you will receive your initial benefit within five days of application. You will still have to complete the eligibility process and supply all necessary and requested documentation within 30 days.
How Do I Request A Waiver Of The Face
Not all households qualify for a waiver of the face-to-face interview.
However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, many interviews for SNAP are being conducted over the phone.
Additionally, if all the adults in the household are elderly and/or disabled, and there is no earned income in the household, the local Department of Social Services MUST waive the face-to-face interview.
If the face-to-face interview is waived, then the interview will be conducted either by telephone or a scheduled home visit.
A department worker cannot go to the applicants home without notice to the applicant who is to be interviewed.
Furthermore, if you do not meet the criteria for an automatic waiver, you might be able to get a waiver of the face-to-face interview by requesting a waiver due to hardship.
A hardship is generally a situation that prevents the applicant from getting to the local Department of Social Services for the interview.
This can include:
- Work hours that conflict with the local DSS business hours
However, waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis.
Read Also: Food Stamps Application Az
Quick Facts About New York Food Stamps
New York SNAP helps low-income working people, senior citizens, the disabled, and others feed their families.
Eligibility and benefit levels are based on household size, income, and other factors.
Heres what you need to know about New York SNAP:
- SNAP, is a state-administered federal nutrition assistance program.
- Federal law sets forth the factors for eligibility and amount of benefits, while each state screens applicants, determines eligibility, and is responsible for record-keeping.
- SNAP is an entitlement program, meaning everyone who meets the eligibility criteria will get benefits.
- If you are approved for SNAP, your monthly benefit amount is credited to an Electronic Benefits Transfer card .
- This card is used as a debit card at participating grocery stores.
- Individuals between the ages of 18 and 50 who are able-bodied adults without dependent children must be engaged in work or work-related activities for at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month to be eligible for more than three months of food stamps.
