If you are struggling to meet your basic food and nutrition needs, there is help available to you. The New York Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as the Food Stamp Program, helps low-income households by supplementing their monthly food budget. SNAP qualification guidelines and criteria are complicated, and the rules change often. If you interested in applying for SNAP, you have to make sure you meet the eligibility criteria. In this article, we will discuss the New York Food Stamps Eligibility Guidelines for 2023 and what you need to qualify.
Monthly benefits are provided on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card that works just like a bank debit card to buy food at most grocery stores and markets (including some Farmers Markets).
Before we get into New York Food Stamps eligibility guidelines, first, we will explain what New York Food Stamps is about and who is eligible to apply.
Next, we will explain each of the eligibility guidelines in detail, including the income limit, which is the most important criteria.
Also, we will walk you through how much you are likely to receive if you are approved for New York SNAP.
Finally, we will answer the most frequently asked questions, including how long the process takes.
This post will cover:
- What is New York Food Stamps?
- New York Food Stamps Eligibility Guidelines
- New York Food Stamps Income Limits – 2023
- How do I apply for New York Food Stamps Benefits?
- New York SNAP Certification Period
- New York Food Stamps Eligibility FAQs
What is New York Food Stamps?
The food stamps program or SNAP is a federally funded program administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) for the United States Department of Agriculture.
The goal of the program is to provide a higher level of nutrition to income-eligible individuals and families by enhancing their ability to purchase healthy food.
If you meet the New York SNAP eligibility guidelines, you will receive a special debit card, called an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card.
The New York EBT Card is loaded with your food benefits (SNAP) each month on your scheduled deposit day.
New York EBT can be used just like a regular debit card to make purchases for eligible food items at approved SNAP store locations.
Households approved for the New York food stamps could receive over $1,500 in benefits each month.
Here are a few details about the SNAP program:
First, SNAP is an entitlement program, which means that anyone that meets the eligibility requirements will get benefits.
You will not be taking benefits away from anyone if you are approved for the program.
Second, you can use your SNAP benefits to purchase seeds and seedlings to grow your own food.
Additionally, you can use manufacturer’s coupons with your SNAP benefits when you shop for groceries.
Lastly, you can use your SNAP benefits at many farmer’s markets in the state of New York.
New York Food Stamps Eligibility Guidelines
New York SNAP Eligibility and the amount of food stamp benefits a household gets depends on four things:
- Income
- Expenses
- Resources
- Number of people living in the household
However, in addition to the above, you must meet other requirements in order to be approved for benefits.
Listed below are the other eligibility requirements you need to meet in order to qualify for New York SNAP benefits.
Do I qualify for New York Food Stamps?
To qualify for the New York Food Stamps and EBT Card benefits, you must:
- Be a U.S. Citizen or Legal Non-Citizen
- Live in the state of New York
- Meet the SNAP Income Limit
In addition to the eligibility requirements listed above, your household must also meet the three income and resources tests.
To learn more about each of the New York SNAP qualifications, continue reading below.
Residency
You must be a resident of New York state to be eligible for NY SNAP benefits.
Identity
The identity of the person applying must be verified.
Identity may be verified through a variety of documents, including but not limited to:
- Department of Motor Vehicles ID or driver’s license
- Work or school ID
- Voter registration card or birth certificate
Social Security Numbers
Individuals, including children, applying for New York SNAP benefits, must either provide a Social Security number or proof they have applied for a Social Security Number.
Household members that are not eligible for SNAP do not have to provide or apply for a Social Security Number.
Citizenship and Immigrant Status
U. S. citizens and many non-citizens are eligible for New York SNAP.
Even if some members of the household are not eligible, those who are may be able to get SNAP benefits.
Work Requirements
If you are age 18 to 50 and able to work, you may be subject to a work requirement in order to receive SNAP.
This requirement would limit the number of months for which you could receive SNAP to three months in a 36 month period.
After you receive SNAP for three months, you may be able to receive three additional months if you complete certain work-related requirements.
However, you may be exempt from this work requirement if you are:
- Currently working or participating in an approved work program
- Responsible for the care of a child
- Pregnant
- Medically certified as unable to work
- Meet one of several work registration exemption reasons, or live in an exempt locality
New York SNAP Income Limits – 2023
Households must meet both a gross and net monthly income limit for their household size.
However, households with a person(s) age 60 years or older or a person with a disability only need to meet the net monthly income limit.
- Gross income means a SNAP household’s total income before any deductions
- Net income means a SNAP household’s total gross income minus allowable deductions
Below is the New York SNAP Income Limit for 2023:
| New York SNAP Income Eligibility Standards for Fiscal Year 2023 | ||
| Effective October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 | ||
| Household Size | Monthly Gross Income (130% of FPL) | Monthly Net Income (100% of FPL) |
| 1 | $1,473 | $1,133 |
| 2 | $1,984 | $1,526 |
| 3 | $2,495 | $1,920 |
| 4 | $3,007 | $2,313 |
| 5 | $3,518 | $2,706 |
| 6 | $4,029 | $3,100 |
| 7 | $4,541 | $3,493 |
| 8 | $5,052 | $3,886 |
| Each Additional Household Member: | +$512 | +$394 |
How to Calculate Your Net Income
Net income for the New York Food Stamps Income Limits is your household’s total gross monthly income minus any allowable expenses.
All allowable expenses should be subtracted from your gross monthly income. To find out what all of the allowable deductions are, continue reading below.
Deductions Allowed for Net Income in 2023
To calculate your net monthly income, you must deduct approved household expenses.
The following deductions are allowed for all households depending on the living situation and expenses.
Here are the expenses that can be deducted from your household’s gross income:
- 20% deduction from earned income to account for work-related expenses and payroll taxes.
- A standard deduction based on household size (see below) to account for basic unavoidable costs.
- Dependent care deduction for out-of-pocket child care or when needed for work, training, or education.
- Child support deduction for any legally obligated child support that a member of the household pays.
- Medical expense deduction for elderly or disabled household members that have incurred out-of-pocket medical expenses greater than $35 a month.
- Homeless household shelter deduction of $166.81.
- Excess shelter deduction for households with a shelter cost that exceed more than half of the household’s income. This deduction is uncapped for households with an elderly or disabled member. However, for all other households, this deduction is capped at $624 per month.
Once you have subtracted all eligible deductions from your household gross income, this will give you your monthly net income.
New York SNAP Standard Deduction
The food stamps standard deduction varies based on your household size and location. Please use the chart provided below to find the standard deduction amount for your household.
| New York SNAP Standard Deductions for Fiscal Year 2023 | |
| Effective October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 | |
| Household Size | Standard Deduction |
| 1-2 | $193 |
| 3 | $193 |
| 4 | $193 |
| 5 | $225 |
| 6+ | $258 |
SNAP Net Income Calculation (Example)
Use the example provided below to help you calculate your household’s net monthly income based on 4-person household with a $2,050 gross income.
| How to Calculate SNAP Net Income in New York | |
| Net Income Calculation: | Example for a 4-person household: |
| Subtract 20% earned income deduction… | $2,500 gross income $2,500 earned income x 20% = $500. $2,500 – $500 = $2,000 |
| Subtract standard deduction… | $2,000 – $193 standard deduction for a 4-person household = $1,807 |
| Subtract dependent care deduction… | $1,807 – $375 dependent care = $1,432 |
| Subtract child support deduction… | $0 |
| Subtract medical costs over $35 for elderly and disabled… | $0 |
| Excess shelter deduction… | See below |
| Determine half of adjusted income… | $1,432 adjusted income/2 = $716 |
| Determine if shelter costs are more than half of adjusted income… | $900 total shelter – $716 (half of income) = $184 excess shelter cost |
| Subtract excess amount, but not more than the limit, from adjusted income… | $1,432 – $184 = $1,248 net monthly income |
| Apply the net income test… | Since $1,248 is less than $2,313 allowed for a 4-person household, this household has met the income test. |
How to Apply for Food Stamps in New York (including NYC)
There are four ways in which you can apply for food stamps in New York:
1. Apply Online
New York City Residents
Residents of New York City, can apply online through the myHRA system.
In addition, you can check your eligibility for more than 20 state program on the myHRA website.
All Other New York State Residents
For all other residents of New York state, apply for New York food stamps online through the mybenefits.ny.gov website.
In addition, you can check your eligibility for more than 20 state program on the myBenefits NY website.
Select your county of residence from the dropdown menu and you will be taken to the page to apply.
2. Apply Over the Phone
To apply over the phone, call the Department of Social Services at 1-800-342-3009.
3. Print Out the Application and Mail/Fax it In.
You can Download the application and fill it out.
4. Apply in Person
You can apply for food stamps in New York City in person by visiting a Human Resources Administration office near you. To locate one, click here.
For all other residents of New York state, you can apply for food stamps in person by visiting a Department of Social Services office near you. To locate one, click here.
New York SNAP Certification Period
Households approved for SNAP benefits in New York are assigned a certification period.
The certification period is the length of time your household will receive benefits.
In some cases, a certification period may end early if there is a change in circumstances that makes the household ineligible (e.g., increase in earned or unearned income).
Most SNAP households will receive a 12-month certification period.
SNAP households in which all members are elderly and/or disabled will receive a 24-month certification period if there is no earned income.
Throughout the certification period, households are required to report specific changes.
If the household wishes to continue receiving SNAP at the end of the certification period, the household will need to complete the recertification process.
New York Food Stamps Eligibility FAQs
Here are the most frequently asked questions about New York SNAP eligibility:
How much will I get in New York SNAP benefits?
The amount of money your family receives depends on the above eligibility factors.
Use the table below to find out the maximum amount of NY food stamp benefits you could receive each month.
| Maximum New York SNAP Benefit Amount by Household Size for 2023 | |
| Effective October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 | |
| Household Size | Maximum SNAP Benefit Allotment |
| 1 | $281 |
| 2 | $516 |
| 3 | $740 |
| 4 | $939 |
| 5 | $1,116 |
| 6 | $1,339 |
| 7 | $1,480 |
| 8 | $1,691 |
| Each Additional Household Member, Add: | $211 |
To find out exactly how much you can expect to receive in New York food stamp benefits each month, check out our New York Food Stamps Calculator.
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 (proof of who you are)
- Current driver’s license or Department of Public Safety ID card.
- If a person has the right to act for you (as your authorized representative), that person also needs to give proof of identity.
Immigration status
- Resident card (I-551)
- Arrival/ departure form (I-94)
- Papers from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (provide copies of the front and back of these forms).
Residence (proof you live in New York)
Utility bill,
Driver’s license
New York Department of Public Safety ID
Rent Receipt
Proof of income from your job
- Last 3 pay stubs or paychecks
- A statement from your employer
- Self-employment records
Bank accounts
- The most current statement for all accounts
Medical costs
- Bills
- Receipts
- Statements from health-care providers (doctors, hospitals, drugstores, etc.)
These items should show costs you have now and costs you expect in the future.
Rent or mortgage costs
- Recent checks
- Check stubs,
- Statement from the mortgage bank or landlord
- Renters may also need to give the landlord’s name, address, and phone number
Dependent care expenses
- Receipts
- Canceled checks
- 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 support
For 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.
New York Food Stamps Eligibility Summary
Here’s the bottom line:
New York Food Stamps helps limited-income individuals and families buy the food they need in order to stay healthy.
Eligibility for NY SNAP, as well as the benefit amount, is based on your household’s size and income level.
U. S. citizens and many non-citizens are eligible for New York SNAP.
There are three ways you can apply for New York Food Stamps benefits: Online, In Person, and By Phone.
You will receive benefits within 30 days of submitting your application.
ABAWDs are limited to receiving three months of New York SNAP benefits within a 36-month period unless they meet work requirements.
Questions?
We hope this post on New York Food Stamps Income Limit was helpful.
If you have further questions about New York SNAP or EBT Card, please let us know in the comments section below.
Also, be sure to check out our other articles about NY SNAP and EBT, including:
New York EBT Deposit Dates for 2023
NY Food Stamps Calculator for 2023
Get Free Admission with NY EBT Card
New York EBT Card Discounts for 2023
Food Stamps for New York State College Students
I am NYC resident. 53 years old with no job but actively looking. Am I eligible for food stamps?