SNAP (food stamps) in New York City — HRA, not the state office

SNAP in New York City for immigrants

In the five boroughs, SNAP is administered by the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), part of the NYC Department of Social Services — not by a county office and not by the state. You apply on ACCESS HRA, and after you file you must call 929-273-1872 for the interview, because HRA does not call you to schedule it. A decision is due within 30 days; expedited (E-SNAP) households get benefits within 7 calendar days. HRA recorded 1,632,084 SNAP recipients in 989,070 households in July 2026.

Why New York City is not just part of the New York page

SNAP in New York is run by the local social services district. In NYS OTDA’s own directory of local districts, every other jurisdiction in the state is listed as a “County DSS” — and New York City is listed as “Human Resources Administration, 718-557-1399. For SNAP and ABAWD questions only, please call 718-SNAP-NOW (718-762-7669).”

That is not a naming quirk. It changes where you file: OTDA’s SNAP FAQ tells residents of the five boroughs to apply at access.nyc.gov, while the rest of the state uses mybenefits.ny.gov. The USDA directory, which publishes one entry per state agency, has no New York City entry at all — which is exactly why the city needs its own page. Statewide rules still apply; see SNAP in New York for the state-level view and SNAP federal rules for the eligibility framework.

One district, five counties: Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens and Richmond (Staten Island).

How to apply for SNAP in New York City

HRA accepts an application through any of these channels. Its published applicant-rights statement is that you have the right to ask for an application, and the office must accept it as long as it is signed and carries a readable name (and an address if you have one).

The minimum needed to file — and therefore to set your filing date — is your name, your address (if you have one), and your signature. If you are approved, benefits are issued back to that filing date.

The interview is the step that stalls applications

Once an application or recertification is submitted, an interview is required. HRA’s instruction is unambiguous: “you must call HRA to complete your interview at the number you were provided; you must complete this important step to get/keep your benefits as HRA will not call you to schedule the interview.”

• On Demand interview line: 929-273-1872, Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM.
• Upload your documents on the ACCESS HRA app before calling.
• You have the right to an in-center interview, including face to face, at a SNAP Center — regardless of how you submitted the form. HRA states: “We cannot turn you away.”

How long a decision takes

Expedited processing is screened on every application. HRA lists three triggers: little or no income or resources; rent and utility expenses above income and resources; or being a migrant or seasonal farm worker with little or no income or resources at the time of applying.

SNAP Centers, by borough

HRA publishes 12 SNAP Centers plus 2 Benefits Access Centers that provide SNAP services, all open Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–5:00 PM:

At a walk-in center you can complete the interview, submit documents, use a computer for your case, and get a temporary EBT card. You cannot get benefits on the spot or a permanent EBT card — that arrives by mail.

Immigration status: federal law, and what the city and state pages still say

The federal list changed on July 4, 2025. Section 10108 of P.L. 119-21 limited SNAP to US citizens, US nationals, lawful permanent residents (usually after five years), Cuban and Haitian entrants, and COFA citizens; refugees, asylees and parolees are no longer eligible, and conditional entrants, battered aliens and trafficking victims only qualify if they are LPRs. This is federal statute and applies identically in every SNAP office in the country, HRA’s included.

⚠️ Read the city and state pages with that date in mind. As of 2026-09-01, HRA’s SNAP application FAQ still offers “a Qualified Alien Status (such as a Refugee)” as its example of who may be eligible, and OTDA’s SNAP FAQ still publishes the pre-July-2025 list — refugees, asylees, parolees, conditional entrants, trafficking victims and battered immigrants — all of which are no longer eligible categories under section 10108. Neither page has been updated to the current federal statute. We are recording what each source says on the date we read it, not resolving it for you; the USDA guidance is the authority on the federal list.

What HRA and OTDA publish that does not turn on status:

• Anyone may apply. HRA: “Every person, regardless of their citizenship status or their income, is allowed to apply for SNAP benefits.”
• A parent who is not eligible can apply for eligible children. OTDA adds that “the SNAP office is not allowed to ask for immigration documents for people who are not applying to receive benefits themselves.”
• SSN. Generally each household member seeking benefits needs a valid SSN or proof of having applied. HRA states that a parent applying for their children while undocumented does not need to apply for an SSN, and that unfavorable actions cannot be taken against the eligible members of the household.
• No fingerprinting. HRA: “You are not required to be fingerprinted to get SNAP.”

Public charge

Under the 2022 DHS public-charge rule, SNAP is not counted. That rule is rescinded effective September 18, 2026 (91 FR 45324), and under USCIS guidance published August 18, 2026, SNAP the applicant receives on or after that date can be weighed as one factor in a case-by-case review; SNAP received before that date is still judged under the 2022 rule. Benefits received by your US-citizen children are not counted against you. NYS OTDA’s SNAP FAQ still states, with no date attached, that SNAP “will not be considered in a public charge determination” — that sentence describes the 2022 regime. Full detail: the public charge rule.

New York State rules that still apply in the city

• No resource test for most households. OTDA: most households applying for SNAP have not had to pass a savings/resource test since January 1, 2008 — money in a checking, savings or retirement account does not by itself block eligibility.
• ABAWD work rules are live. OTDA states the ABAWD rules are in effect in all New York counties beginning March 1, 2026. HRA implemented the requirement on November 1, 2025, with compliance beginning March 1, 2026.
• Income limits and maximum allotments are federal, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, and are published by OTDA (table below).
• Recertification packets arrive roughly two months before the certification period ends and include a scheduled interview appointment on page one — see what happens if you miss the recertification deadline.
• EBT card = CBIC. In New York the EBT card is also the Common Benefit Identification Card. PIN changes by phone: 888-328-6399.

Related

• SNAP in New York (statewide) — the state-level page
• SNAP federal rules and eligibility — who qualifies by status
• Renewing your SNAP benefits — the recertification deadline
• Medicaid in New York — the other HRA-administered benefit
• Help paying the electric bill (LIHEAP) — different eligibility list from SNAP’s
• Benefits hub — eligibility by immigration status
• Esta página en español

Last verified: 2026-09-01.

Official New York City SNAP contacts

Maximum monthly benefit (FY2026)

The USDA adjusts SNAP maximums every October 1. These are the federal maximum allotments in effect through September 30, 2026 — New York publishes the same figures, and your actual benefit depends on household income and deductions:

Related procedural information

• Federal benefits eligibility by immigration status — who qualifies for what
• Find legal aid in your state — public-benefits appeals
• What an ITIN is and is not — an ITIN is a tax-filing number only; SNAP applicants must provide or apply for a Social Security number (see above)
• Consulate of your country — many offer financial-assistance referrals
• Know Your Rights — public-benefits enrollment — agency confidentiality limits