There are many factors that determine SNAP eligibility in New York. These include household size, monthly income, and resources. However, the income limits are the most important eligibility criteria that determine whether you are approved for SNAP benefits or not. Before you apply for New York food assistance, it is important to make sure you meet all the criteria. In this post, we will walk you through the New York Food Stamps Income limit and what you need to know to successfully apply for benefits.
In this article, we will cover:
- What is New York Food Stamps?
- New York Food Stamps Income Limit Explained
- Other New York Food Stamps Eligibility Requirements
- How to Apply for New York Food Stamps (Nutrition Assistance Program/SNAP)
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.
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 Income Limit – 2023
The New York Income Limits for 2023 is based on your household’s total income and size.
The SNAP income eligibility limits enable families earning up to 130% of the poverty level to qualify for these benefits.
To find out if your income meets the eligibility requirements you must first calculate the gross monthly income for your household.
For instructions on how to calculate your gross monthly income, follow the steps below.
How to Calculate Your Gross Income
The gross income for your household is the total income earned before taxes have been taken out. I
f you are applying for New York food stamp benefits, you must determine your gross monthly income to see if you qualify.
Step 1 – Determine your Household Size
A household is a group of people who regularly buy and eat food together. The people in a household do not have to be related to each other.
- Households can be as small as one person
- The same address can have more than one household
- You don’t need to have a home to receive food stamps
Step 2 – Gather your Monthly Earned Income
Earned income is any countable income you have earned within a given one-month period before taxes. For the New York food stamps income limit, earned income includes any of the following:
- Wages or salaries earned from a job
- Earnings from self-employment (after allowable business expenses)
- Income made from renters, roommates, or boarders (after operational costs)
- Any income from rental property (minus business expenses)
- Social Security payments
Step 3 – Add your Earned Income to Calculate Gross Monthly Income
Once you have determined all your sources of earned income, add them all together. This will give you your total gross monthly income for your household.
Step 4 – Determine if your Gross Monthly Income is Eligible
Now that you have your gross monthly income, you can see if your income is eligible for New York food stamp benefits. Use the chart and follow the steps below to determine your eligibility.
- Start by finding your household size on the chart.
- Once you have located your household size, look in the next column at the maximum gross income for your household size.
- If the maximum allowable gross income is higher than your total gross income, you may be eligible for New York food stamp benefits.
- When the maximum allowable gross income is lower than your total gross income, you may not be eligible for New York food stamp benefits.
| 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 |
NY Food Stamps Income Limit for Seniors/Disabled Household Members
If your household includes an elderly (60+ years old) or disabled person, you have a different set a higher gross income might still qualify for food stamps. The New York SNAP Income Limit for households with seniors and/or disabled household members is higher than 130% of FPL.
If this applies to you, please use the NY SNAP Income Limit Chart below:
| New York SNAP Income Eligibility Standards for Fiscal Year 2023 | ||||
| Effective October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023 | ||||
| Household Size | Monthly Net Income (100% of FPL) | Monthly Gross Income Income for Households without Earned Income (no elderly or disabled member) (130% of FPL) | Monthly Gross Income for Households with Earned Income (no elderly or disabled member) (150% of FPL) | Monthly Gross Income for Households with an Elderly or Disabled Member AND Households with Dependent Care Expenses (200% of FPL) |
| 1 | $1,133 | $1,473 | $1,699 | $2,265 |
| 2 | $1,526 | $1,984 | $2,289 | $3,052 |
| 3 | $1,920 | $2,495 | $2,879 | $3,839 |
| 4 | $2,313 | $3,007 | $3,469 | $4,625 |
| 5 | $2,706 | $3,518 | $4,059 | $5,412 |
| 6 | $3,100 | $4,029 | $4,649 | $6,199 |
| 7 | $3,493 | $4,541 | $5,239 | $6,985 |
| 8 | $3,886 | $5,052 | $5,829 | $7,772 |
| Each Additional Household Member Add: | $394 | $512 | $590 | $787 |
Step 5 – Calculate your Net Monthly Income
Once you have successfully found your gross monthly income, you will need to calculate your net monthly income. For help on how to calculate your net monthly income for the New York food stamps income limit, keep reading below.
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.
Here are the expenses that can be deducted from your household’s gross income:
| Earned Income | 20% of gross earnings |
| Standard | |
| Household Size | Deduction Amount: |
| 1 – 3 | $193 |
| 4 | $193 |
| 5 | $225 |
| 6 or more | $258 |
| Medical | Allowable medical expenses incurred by elderly or disabled household members in excess of $35 per household. |
| Dependent Care | Payments for the care of a child or other incapacitated adult which are necessary for a household member to work, look for work, or attend school or training. |
| Child Support | Allowable for payments of legally obligated child support. |
| Shelter | Allowable shelter costs (rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance on the structure, and utility expenses) in excess of 50% of household income remaining after all other deductions. |
| For households with an elderly or disabled member, there is no limit on the shelter deduction; for all other households, the shelter deduction cannot exceed $624. |
Calculating Net Income with Allowable Deductions
Step 1 – Subtract any Allowable Deductions
After you have determined which allowable deductions apply to your household, subtract those (in order) from your total gross monthly income. Doing this will give you the total net monthly income for your household.
If you need additional help doing this, use the example below:
| Net Income Calculation | Example for a 4-person household |
|---|---|
| Subtract 20% earned income deduction… | $2,050 gross income $1,500 earned income x 20% = $300. $2,050 – $300 = $1,750 |
| Subtract standard deduction… | $1,750 – $193 standard deduction for a 4-person household = $1,557 |
| Subtract dependent care deduction… | $1,557 – $378 dependent care = $1,179 |
| 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… | $1,179 adjusted income/2 = $589.50 |
| Determine if shelter costs are more than half of adjusted income… | $700 total shelter – $589.50 (half of income) = $110.50 excess shelter cost |
| Subtract excess amount, but not more than the limit, from adjusted income… | $1,179 – $110.50 = $1,068.50 net monthly income |
| Apply the net income test… | Since $1,068.50 is less than $2,313 allowed for 4-person household, this household has met the income test. |
Step 2 – Determine if your Net Monthly Income is Eligible
Now that you have your net monthly income, you can see if your income is eligible for New York food stamp benefits. Use the chart and follow the steps below to determine your eligibility.
- Start by finding your household size on the chart.
- Once you have located your household size, look in the last column at the maximum net income for your household size.
- If the allowable net income is higher than your total net income, you may be eligible for New York food stamp benefits.
- If the allowable net income is lower than your total net income, you may not be eligible for New York food stamp benefits.
| Household size | Net monthly Income Limit |
| 1 | $1,133 |
| 2 | $1,526 |
| 3 | $1,920 |
| 4 | $2,313 |
| 5 | $2,706 |
| 6 | $3,100 |
| 7 | $3,493 |
| 8 | $3,886 |
Each additional member | +$394 |
If you have determined that your gross and net income are eligible for food assistance benefits and would like to know how much you can expect to receive, continue below.
How Much in Food Stamps will I get?
Once you determine you qualify for food stamps, you probably want to know how much in benefits your household will get on a monthly basis. See the chart below for details. You will find that the maximum benefits you can get is based on the number of people in your household.
| 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 |
Note: The allotments described here are for households in New York.
Check out the example for a SNAP benefit calculation below:
| Benefit Calculation | Example |
|---|---|
| Multiply net income by 30%… (Round up) | $1,068.50 net monthly income x 0.3 = 320.55 (round up to $321) |
| Subtract 30% of net income from the maximum allotment for the household size… | $939 maximum allotment for 4-person household – $321 (30% of net income) = $618, SNAP Allotment for a full month |
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.
Exemptions to New York SNAP Income Limits
If all members of your household are receiving TANF, SSI, or in some places general assistance, you do not have to meet the food stamps income test.
In addition, while most households must meet both the gross and net income tests, if you live in a household where there is an elderly person or a person who is receiving certain types of disability payments, then that household will only have to meet the net income test to qualify for New York food stamps (SNAP Benefits).
Other New York Food Stamps Eligibility Requirements
To apply for food stamps in New York, you have to meet the additional eligibility requirements listed below.
Of all the requirements, the income limit is the biggest factor that determines whether you are approved for benefits.
Make sure you review the income limit to be sure you are eligible before applying. If you determine that you are not eligible, there may be other nutrition assistance program you may be eligible for.
1. Residency
To apply for food stamps in New York, you must be a resident of the state of New York.
2. Citizenship
Only United States Citizens and certain categories of lawfully admitted non-citizens can apply for food stamps.
3. Resources
Households may have $2,250 in countable resources (such as cash or money in a bank account) or $3,500 in countable resources if at least one member of the household is age 60 or older, or is disabled.
What Counts as Resources?
Resources that could be available to the household to purchase food, such as amounts in bank accounts.
Items that are not accessible, such as the household’s home, personal property, and retirement savings, do not count. Most automobiles do not count.
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, click here for how to apply online through the myHRA system.
You can check your eligibility for more than 20 state programs here.
All Other New York State Residents
For all other residents of New York state, click here to apply for New York food stamps online through the mybenefits.ny.gov website.
You can check your eligibility for more than 20 state programs here.
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. They are open Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM.
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 aDepartment of Social Services office near you. To locate one, click here.
New York SNAP Application FAQs
Here are the most frequently asked questions about applying for New York food stamps:
Can someone apply for me?
Yes. If you have a physical or mental hardship, and are disabled, New York allows you to have someone you designate submit your SNAP application on your behalf.
You may also authorize someone who knows your household circumstances to apply for SNAP benefits for you.
If you would like to authorize someone, print the person’s name, address and phone number on the signature page of your SNAP benefits application.
Can my SNAP interview be done over the phone?
Yes, anyone can be interviewed over the phone.
If you apply in person, you will be scheduled for a phone interview
Once you have submitted your SNAP application to DSS, a worker from the SNAP office will call you for an interview.
If you are available, they will conduct the interview immediately over the phone.
However, if you cannot be reached immediately, a letter will be sent to you scheduling you for a phone interview with a date and
time.
What if I do not provide the required documents?
If you do not provide proof of residency and income, DSS will send you a denial letter outlining why your application was
denied.
If you receive a denial letter due to missing documents, you can still submit the missing documents, but they
must be submitted within 60 days from the date you submitted your application.
If you fail to submit the missing documents within the 60 day period, your application will be denied and you must re-apply for SNAP benefits.
How long before the SNAP benefits Office make its decision?
The food stamp office must make a decision on your application within 30 days of the date you submit it.
They will usually issue SNAP benefits going back to the date of your application.
However, if you or someone in your household causes a delay, your application can be held open another 30 days.
In this case, you will not get back benefits. If you delay completing the application for more than 60 days, your application can be denied.
What are P-EBT food benefits?
Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) is for families with children (up to age 21) who temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price meals at school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
P-EBT is part of the U.S. government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and was authorized under The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020.
These temporary food benefits are being provided to help cover the cost of meals children would have otherwise received at school during the academic year.
While P-EBT food benefits are not SNAP benefits, they can however be used to only purchase the same food items that can be purchased with SNAP benefits.
New York Food Stamps Income Limit Summary
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:
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NY Food Stamps Calculator for 2023
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New York EBT Card Discounts
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