Additional SNAP Benefits Are Coming for Families

As part of additional financial help that is being made available due to everything that is happening with COVID-19, New York State is issuing additional Food Stamp benefits to households in NY.

In an Announcement, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is automatically making Emergency supplemental SNAP benefits available to households who are not already receiving the maximum benefit.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 authorized the payment of P-EBT food benefits to households with children who would have received free school lunches under the National School Lunch Act, if not for a school closure. These temporary food benefits are to help cover the cost of meals children would otherwise would have received at school.
-NYS OTDA Announcement

If you qualify for these benefits, there isn't anything you need to do extra. According to the NYSOTDA, all children who would have received free or reduced lunch while at school are eligible to receive P-EBT Benefits.

This includes:

• All children attending Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools where all children attending public schools in the district received free or reduced-price school lunches.
• Children who attend private, parochial, and charter schools and who received free school lunches.
• Three and four-year-old children attending Universal Pre-Kindergarten and who received free school lunches.
• Young adults ages 19 to 21 who are still in school and who received free school lunches.
• Foster children who received free school lunches.
• Children who are non-citizens and who received free school lunches.

Benefits should begin coming this month. If you have any questions or are in need of more information, please reach out to the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) at 1-833-452-0096 or your local County Department of Social Services.