By Veronica Romero
04 Mar 2024, 19:15 PM EST
There is good news for people who rely on cash assistance benefits or who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday, jointly with Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, that nearly all backlogs in processing applications for such programs have been resolved, ensuring that low-income New Yorkers income can quickly and easily access the federal benefits for which they qualify.
While more than 46,000 cash assistance claims and more than 4,000 SNAP claims were pending timely processing last summer, the Adams administration’s investments in staffing, technology and process improvements have cleared the case backlog by 97 percent. and 90 percent, respectively.
“As a child, I watched my mother struggle to put food on the table, while working three jobs to take care of me and my five siblings. The city was not there to help us when we needed help; We will not allow that practice to continue under our administration,” Adams said, highlighting that his administration is putting working-class New Yorkers first and ensuring they have full access to the benefits they are entitled to in a timely manner.
According to the city administration, more than 510,000 New Yorkers receive cash assistance, the highest number of beneficiaries since 2003, and more than 1.7 million residents receive SNAP, reflecting the highest percentage of low-income New Yorkers participating in that program since the The city began reporting the figures annually in 2006.
Additionally, since the fully remote process was launched under the Adams administration, more than 90 percent of New Yorkers have applied for cash and SNAP assistance online.
“As a result of technology improvements, staffing investments, and strategic process changes, DSS is on track to eliminate delays that impact the processing of cash assistance and SNAP benefits, and the agency is better positioned to handle an unprecedented number of cases in the future,” said Commissioner Park.
Application in person
New Yorkers who prefer to apply in person can go to https://www.nyc.gov/site/hra/locations/job-locations-and-service-centers.page and https://www.nyc.gov /site/hra/locations/snap-locations.page to see the locations closest to your homes.