How To Get Cash Assistance And Food Stamps

What You Need To Know About Cash Assistance From The Nyc Human Resources Administration

This is information on applying for and keeping cash assistance , Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits . These benefits are available through HRA to persons who are eligible. This page includes is information about steps you can take on your own, and what to do if you need help from The Legal Aid Society.

*Due to COVID-19 you do NOT have to go to an HRA Job Center in person to apply for benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can apply online, via mail, or fax. In certain circumstances, you can also apply over the phone or request an in-person visit. Learn more about your options here.

Costco Shoppers Can Get Reward Checks Of Up To $1000

This strategy is a little more complicated and requires a little more patience to yield results. However, since I have a larger family, I found this to be the most effective way of getting cash from my food stamps funds.

When we received our tax return, we bought an Executive Membership to Costco. The executive membership provides a 2% reward on all Costco purchases. Since we received approximately $550 per month in food stamps, we were able to earn up to $11 per month from our food stamps purchases. Thats $132 per year in extra money, just from our food stamps card. We also bought items like diapers and wipes at Costco, which increased our total reward check.

The check will arrive about six weeks before the end of your membership. You can use it to renew your membership or use it to shop at Costco! Its not exactly cash, but it was my favorite method to get cash from food stamps.

Information Needed For Eligibility

Whether you are applying for the first time, or renewing your benefits, you may need one or more of the following pieces of information to determine whether you are eligible:

• Proof of citizenship and identity for everyone who is applying for benefits.
• Alien Registration Cards, if there are non-U.S. citizens applying for benefits in your household.
• Social Security numbers for everyone, or proof that a Social Security number has been applied for.
• Proof of relationship, birth certificates may be used.
• Name, address & daytime phone number of landlord or neighbor.
• A statement verifying your address and the names of everyone living with you. The statement must be made by a non-relative who doesnât live with you. It must be signed, dated and include that person’s address and telephone number.
• Proof of ALL money your household received from any source last month and this month.
• Proof that your employment ended and last date paid.
• Bank or credit union complete statement for the most recent month.
• Proof of savings bonds, securities, retirement plans and life insurance.
• Proof of rent/mortgage and utility bills for the most recent month.
• Proof of child care expenses for the most recent month.

When possible, please include this information with your application.

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Returning Or Submitting Documents

Eligible clients receiving temporary cash assistance are required to engage in work and/or educational activities in most cases. Learn more about educational opportunities on our Training and Education page.

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 the list of locations here.

Do You Want To Apply For Cash Assistance Snap Or Help With Your Rent

There are three ways to apply for cash assistance and/or SNAP/Food Stamps:

• By computer or smart phone You can apply for cash assistance and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits online at ACCESS HRA. You can then upload documents on the ACCESS HRA app on your smartphone.
• By paper application You can complete a paper application and send it to HRA by mail. You can get a paper application by calling HRA Infoline at 718-557-1399 or 311 or printing one from the HRA website. After you fill it in, you can send it to HRA.
• In person at an open HRA Center You can go in person to apply or to pick up a paper application. HRA offices are open in each borough. But be sure to check this link or call 311 before you go to make sure the office is open some HRA offices are closed during the pandemic.

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More Info For Apply For Snap Benefits

Can someone help me apply for SNAP benefits?

You can ask someone you trust to apply for you or go food shopping for you. That person is your authorized representative. Tell us who your authorized representative is in your application. You and your authorized representative will need to fill out the Request to Choose Someone to Be My Authorized Representative form.

I need help because of a disability

We may be able to help. We can give you extra help called accommodations. Accommodations can make working with us easier. If you think you need extra help, tell a DTA staff member.

What can I buy?

What Kind Of Help Can Hra Give Me

• Help with emergencies: Examples of emergencies include having no cash, needing food or personal hygiene items facing an electricity or gas shut-off facing eviction. If you have one or more of these emergencies you may qualify for help.
• Help with cash assistance: Cash Assistance is a twice a month cash grant that recipients can use to meet basic needs. Some of the grant goes to rent and utilities, and there are other special grants for furniture, clothing, storage fees, etc. depending on your situation.
• Help for people who are homeless: If you are homeless, you may be able to get carfare to use for apartment search, an allowance for purchasing prepared food from restaurants help keeping your belongings in storage.
• Help to prevent eviction: HRA also helps to prevent evictions. If you are facing eviction and need help, help is available through the COVID Housing Helpline at 212-298-3333.

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Family Independence Temporary Assistance

The Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program provides cash assistance to families with children when the financial resources of the family are insufficient to meet subsistence needs.

The goal of FITAP is to decrease the long-term dependency on welfare assistance by promoting job preparation and work. Public assistance is no longer a lifetime benefit but an opportunity to become independent after a financial crisis.

FITAP Benefits

The graph shows how much assistance a family receives based on family size.

The average family consists of a mother and two children. The average grant in Louisiana is $222 per month.

Income from all sources must be taken into account in determination of eligibility and amount of grant. This includes income from Social Security, veteran’s benefits, Railroad Retirement, or wages, and any other regular income. However, the law exempts certain income.

The person who receives the benefits must notify the Economic Stability parish office of any changes in address, residence, living arrangements, resources, and income according to the requirements of the reporting system to which they are assigned.

What Are My Rights?

How are My Benefits Issued?

Surcharge-Free ATMs

• ASI FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Reporting the Misuse of the ebt cardProhibition of Unauthorized Use or Purchases Made with the Electronic Benefit Transfer Card:

Important Information About Recertifications

• Recertifications: If you receive a Cash Assistance or SNAP recertification notice by mail or an ACCESS HRA alert that you need to recertify, you must submit your recertification or your benefits will stop. You can use ACCESS HRA, fax, mail, or a drop box at open centers to submit your recertification. Please make sure that we have your correct phone number. You can check it and update it on ACCESS HRA websiteor the ACCESS HRA Mobile App. View the below sections to see how you can submit your recertification and supporting documents.

• CA 6-month mailer and SNAP periodic report: Starting July 2021, if you do not return your SNAP periodic report or Cash Assistance mailer your case will close.

New! If you receive Cash Assistance and have lost your job or need to request a case change, you can now go to ACCESS HRA website and the mobile app to submit a case change online. Please make sure to upload documents in support of your request.

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Process To Get Help When Denied

It is always recommended for each person to determine eligibility. The applicant should closely review the government criteria. Each entitlement program has different income thresholds, time-frames, and criteria in place. If they need help with this, and advocate can assist. For example:

• TANF cash assistance, or welfare grants, will normally be time limited so it runs out and a family can’t reapply.
• Section 8 HUD vouchers will normally require the tenant to have a source of income.
• SNAP food stamps are generally for very low income families, with a graduated income scale based on the number of household members.
• Cash aid from disability will require proof from a doctor or health care professional on the medical conditions, otherwise it can be denied.
• LIHEAP is limited to certain months and requires copy of utility bills, age of the applicant, birth certificates, and more.
• Medical assistance, or Medicaid, tends to be for households living in poverty with no other insurance available.

Each and every public benefit program has different application criteria. Always closely review the terms and conditions as well as the reason for the denial. As the government should have sent some form of letter to the applicant that provides the specifics of why they were denied. Specialists or attorneys can help with this review, and more information is below.

Find Your Loan Servicer

If you don’t know whether your mortgage is federally backed, see a list of federal agencies that provide or insure mortgages. You can also check the Fannie Mae loan lookup and the Freddie Mac loan lookup to see if either one owns or backs your mortgage. Together, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own nearly half of all mortgages in the U.S.

Recommended Reading: Alabama Food Stamps Income Guidelines

How Do I Apply For Snap And/or Temporary Cash Assistance

You must complete an application for SNAP , TCA , or Medicaid. Each program has its own eligibility criteria, but you can use the same application to apply for one or all of these programs.

The fastest way to apply for programs, including TCA, SNAP, or Medicaid is online. If you have problems, you can get help from a Community Partner. Contact the customer call center 1.866.762.2237.

You can also go to a Community Partner ACCESS site in your area. You can search for a Community Partner near you on the ACCESS Florida website. Community Partners have computers and staff available to help you. You can also click on the Community Partner Link on most of the DCF ACCESS websites.

The Department of Children and Families also has Customer Service Centers. You can find the DCF Service Center nearest you and apply there.

If you do not want to complete an application over the internet, you can complete a paper application. The Customer Service Center should have these forms available for you to complete and mail, fax, or hand-deliver.

If you have little or no income, you should request expedited SNAP. This means that DCF must make an eligibility determination within seven days instead of 30 days.

If you want to check on the status of your application, you can create an online account on the Florida ACCESS website. If you have an online ACCESS account, you can report changes, request additional benefits, and check on the status of your application 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

About SNAPHow to Apply

• Applications are accepted online, via mobile application, in-person, or through the mail.

EligibilityEligibility and benefit amounts are based on income, expenses, and the number of people applying as a household.

• Learn more about SNAP eligibility requirements.
• Elderly and disabled households have different eligibility requirements.
• See if you may be eligible by answering a few questions.
• Find out the maximum benefit amountsby household size.

Ongoing EligibilityIf you are eligible, you will be certified for SNAP for a certain number of months. This could range from 4 to 24-months, depending on your circumstances. You will need to notify us if you experience certain changes. At the end of your certification period, you will need to complete an application, provide us with documentation to verify your ongoing eligibility, and you may be asked to participate in an interview.

• Learn more about SNAP ongoing eligibility requirements

Electronic Benefits Transfer CardsIf you are approved for SNAP, each month your SNAP benefits will be automatically loaded onto an EBT Card. You must create a PIN that you will need to enter each time you make an eligible food purchase.

• Learn more about EBT cards

Using your SNAP BenefitsSNAP is accepted at most grocery stores, convenience stores, some farmers markets, and some online stores. SNAP can only be used to purchase eligible food items.

• Find out where you can use your SNAP benefits

Additional Food Resources

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How And When Do I Request A Fair Hearing

You can request a fair hearing in 5 ways:

• Phone call: 518-474-8781 or toll free 800-342-3334
• Fax: 518-473-6735
• Albany, New York 12201

Can I go in person to 14 Boerum Place and Request a hearing?No. Not right now. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, that office is currently closed to the public. You cannot not go in person to 14 Boerum Place, 1st Floor, Brooklyn .

When you should request the fair hearing?Request a Fair Hearing right away! You can request a fair hearing as soon as you receive a notice of decision that you disagree with, or if your benefits or services are changed without notice.

You must request a fair hearing within 60 days of the date of the notice for public assistance and Medicaid issues, and 90 days for SNAP issues. Even if you think you missed the deadline, you can still make the request.If you request the hearing within 10 days of the date of the notice, you can get aid continuing. Aid continuing means your benefits should continue unchanged until the hearing decision is made.

Because of COVID-19, most hearings are only being held by telephone, not in person. You have the right to decline a telephone hearing and ask that it be rescheduled in person at a future date.