• Eligibility is based on household size, income, and household expenses.
• You are not required to screen for eligibility before applying for SNAP.
• If you receive SSI/Disability benefits, you can still qualify for SNAP. Receiving SNAP does not reduce your SSI/Disability payments.
• If you are a caregiver who is not a foster parent but are financially responsible for a child or children in your care, you may be eligible for SNAP.
• You are not required to be fingerprinted to get SNAP.

Download a list of eligibility requirements and necessary documents.

Use the ACCESS NYC eligibility screener.

Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) Work Requirements

You must meet the Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirements if you apply for or receive SNAP benefits and are an ABAWD, as defined by federal SNAP rules. 

ABAWDs are only eligible to get SNAP benefits for three months in a 3-year period unless they meet certain special work requirements or are excused. In New York State, this 3-year period began on January 1, 2019.

As of April 1, 2020, all ABAWDs who live in New York City will have to meet one of the activities listed below to fulfill their work requirement.  

If you are an ABAWD you must complete and give us proof of one of the following each month:

• Work, including "in-kind" and volunteer work, for at least 80 hours per month.
• Participation in an employment and training program for veterans operated by the Department of Labor or Department of Veterans Affairs for at least 80 hours per month.
• Participate in a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) or Trade Act program, including job search, job readiness, occupational skills training, and education activities for at least 80 hours per month.
• Participate in a combination of work or qualifying work programs for at least 80 hours per month.

Proof is not required for the following work requirements because they are tracked by HRA:

• Participate in a work activity approved by HRA for no more than 12 hours per month.
• Participate in an HRA-approved work or training program for at least 80 hours per month.

The work requirements listed above apply to each ABAWD in the SNAP household.

You must get an application to apply for SNAP.

Online

Download a SNAP application.

In Person

You can get help applying in person at any SNAP Center. You may be interviewed the same day.

By Phone

You can submit an application.

Online

You can apply for SNAP online at ACCESS HRA.

Visit the ACCESS HRA website.

By Mail

Mail your application to:

SNAP
Mail Application Referral Unit
P.O. Box 29197
Brooklyn, NY 11201

In Person

You can get help filing your application in person at any SNAP Center. You may be interviewed the same day.

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) also provide help with completing SNAP applications and screening applicants for eligibility. Some of the CBOs are called Easy Access or EASE (Electronic Application and Scanning Express) sites, where you can submit your documents to HRA electronically. The hours of operation for these sites may change, so you should call ahead. All SNAP Centers are wheelchair accessible.

You can get help applying for SNAP assistance at SNAP Centers throughout the City. All SNAP centers are accessible for people who use wheelchairs.

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) also provide help with completing SNAP applications and screening applicants for eligibility. Some of the CBOs are called Easy Access or EASE (Electronic Application and Scanning Express) sites, where you can submit your documents to HRA electronically. The hours of operation for these sites may change, so you should call ahead. You must make an appointment to visit an EASE location.

Use Site Finder to search for a Food Stamp Centers and CBOs.

Eligibility Interview

After the Human Resources Administration (HRA) gets your application, they will contact you within 5 days to schedule an eligibility interview. Most interviews are done at a SNAP Center. If you apply in person at a SNAP Center, you may be interviewed the same day.

You can request reasonable accommodations if:

• You are working, elderly, or disabled
• You have problems with child care
• You have trouble traveling to a SNAP Center

Required Documents

You can submit an application without supporting documents, but you need to bring the following documents to your eligibility interview:

• Proof of identity (driver's license, ID card)
• Proof of address, unless you are homeless (apartment or house lease, utility bill, rent receipt, or mortgage statement)
• Social Security numbers of all applicants
• Proof of the amount of all earned and unearned income before taxes or deductions (pay stubs for the past four weeks, employer wage statement, benefits letter from Social Security unemployment compensation, Veterans Administration, or pensions)
• Number and relationship of people in the household
• Proof of shelter costs and utility expenses
• Proof of immigration status for non-citizen applicants (immigration information is not required for household members who are not applying for SNAP)
• Proof of child support payments you make if you want the amount you pay to be considered (support order, separation agreement, child support records)
• Proof of out-of-pocket medical expenses if you are age 60 or older or receive federal disability benefits (doctor or hospital bills, prescription receipts, receipts for over-the-counter medical expenses if prescribed by a medical practitioner, transportation costs to get to medical care)
• Proof of child care expenses if you are working, looking for work, or in training

If you cannot keep your SNAP application interview, or if you missed your interview, you can reschedule your appointment.

If you need to submit additional documents you may fax them:

• Concourse S45
  Fax: (917) 639-2473
   
• Coney Island S22
  Fax: (917) 639-1108
   
• Crotona S46
  Fax: (917) 639-1107
   
• East End S02
  Fax: (917) 639-2501
   
• East New York S28
  Fax: (917) 639-2520
   
• Fort Greene S20
  Fax: (917) 639-2483
   
• Hunts Point S40
  Fax: (917) 639-2482
   
• Jamaica S54
  Fax: (917) 639-2476
   
• North Brooklyn S26
  Fax: (917) 639-2489
   
• Queens S53
  Fax: (917) 639-2492
   
• Richmond S99
  Fax: (917) 639-2537
   
• Rockaway S79
  Fax: (917) 639-2523
   
• Food Stamp SSI
  Fax: (917) 639-2532
   
• St Nicholas S14
  Fax: (917) 639-2498
   
• Washington Heights S13
  Fax: (917) 639-2496
   
• Waverly S19
  Fax: (917) 639-2504
   
• Williamsburg S21
  Fax: (917) 639-2486

Expected Wait-Time

When your application is received, the Human Resources Administration (HRA) will contact you and make an appointment within 5 days. You will have an option for a telephone interview.

If you pick up an application at a SNAP center, you may be interviewed the same day.

If you are eligible for SNAP, you will receive them within 30 days. In some cases, you can get emergency benefits sooner.

Expedited Processing

Expedited processing allows eligible people to get SNAP benefits within 5 days. If you qualify, you will get an interview within 2 days.

You may be eligible if one of the following apply:

• You are eligible for SNAP. Your household has less than $100 in cash or other available resources. You will have less than $150 in gross income (before taxes) during the month that you apply.
• Your combined income and available resources in the month that you apply are less than the total of your rent or mortgage plus heat, utilities, and phone bills.
• At least one person in the household is a migrant or seasonal farm worker who has less than $100 in cash or other available resources.

Applicants and participants can find out their SNAP case status. Existing participants can also get assistance with recertification.

If you are 60 or older, you can get help applying for SNAP by phone.

You must:

• Be a resident of New York City
• Have an annual household income of less than $32,000
• Not already be enrolled in SNAP

If you have a disability, medical condition, or mental health condition that makes it hard for you to apply for or get SNAP benefits, you can request a reasonable accommodation.

By Email

ConstituentAffairs@dss.nyc.gov

By Fax

(212) 331-4685

By Mail

Office of Constituent Services
150 Greenwich Street, 35th Floor
New York, NY 10007

By Phone

Help

If you already get SNAP and need help, contact the SNAP Center where your case is currently serviced.

Your benefits schedule may change from month to month and from year to year. Changes happen most often in January and July. You can check your current schedule by phone. You will need to provide your 19-digit card number.

With SNAP, you can buy:

• Food or food products
• Seeds to grow vegetables and plants that provide food, such as basil or tomatoes
• Baby formula, diabetic and diet foods
• Edible items used in preparing or preserving food, such as spices, herbs, pectin, and shortening
• Water and ice labeled for human consumption
• Snack foods

You can't use SNAP to buy:

• Prepared hot foods in grocery stores or any prepared food (hot or cold) meant to be eaten at the store
• Alcoholic beverages or tobacco
• Cleaning products, paper products, toiletries, or cooking utensils
• Pet supplies
• Items for food preservation such as canning jars or lids, freezer containers, or food wrapping paper
• Medicines, vitamins, or minerals
• Items for gardening, such as fertilizer or peat moss

You can make a complaint about SNAP, including:

• Delays
• Expired SNAP benefits
• Staff behavior at a SNAP Center
• How your case is handled
• Stores that set a minimum purchase amount to use SNAP benefits

On April 18, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began a two-year pilot for online purchasing by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants in New York State.

SNAP households with electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards will be able to use their benefits to purchase eligible food items. SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay for service or delivery charges.  

Find participating stores and get more information about the SNAP online purchasing pilot.

Read the USDA press release about the SNAP online purchasing pilot.