If you’re a recipient of the food stamps program, and you’re a New York State resident, you may be among those who see your EBT deposits quadrupled, under a proposed new rule. According to existing regulations, individuals in New York receiving SNAP benefits are eligible for a minimum monthly allowance of $23 to assist in covering essential grocery expenses.
However, a potential transformation is on the horizon with the introduction of a proposed bill aiming to establish a statewide initiative. This program seeks to substantially raise the minimum food stamps monthly amount, presenting an opportunity to enhance support for recipients and address the evolving needs of the community.
New York Food Stamps Recipients Could Get More Money
Introduced in the New York Senate and Assembly, Senate Bill S7663 and Assembly Bill A6214A would see a “state SNAP minimum benefit program” introduced. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, analyzing data from the Food and Nutrition Service (part of the USDA), there are around 2.8 million people utilizing the food stamps in the state of New York.
“This would give households receiving SNAP an additional monthly state SNAP benefit equal to the difference between the household’s federal SNAP monthly benefit and $95. This program would result in relief and support the wellbeing of our state’s most vulnerable families,” reads the Senate text bill.
The SNAP Benefits Allotments as of Today
SNAP, available to eligible participants nationwide, is funded by the federal government but administered by state authorities, sometimes operating at the county level. States could take the lead in determining the minimum and maximum amounts families can claim, with individual payments calculated based on a person’s income and the number of individuals in their household.
For the period spanning October 2023 to September 2024, the USDA outlines the maximum allotments for SNAP in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. These allotments vary based on household size.
Individuals in single-person households (Household size 1) can receive a maximum allotment of $291, while households with two individuals (Household size 2) are eligible for an increased allotment of $535. For a three-member home, the maximum monthly check is $766, while for a four-member American average family, the maximum benefits is up to $973
The allotments progressively rise for larger households, reaching a maximum of $1,751 for households with eight individuals (Household size 8). Additionally, each additional person in the household qualifies for an extra $219 in SNAP benefits, highlighting the nuanced approach to providing assistance based on household composition.
For residents of Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the values are different in each of these territories. You should check with your local SNAP benefits office to find out which values apply to you.
Millions of Dollars Stolen From EBT Cards: Are You Impacted?
New York legislators are sounding the alarm over a significant amount of SNAP benefits being illicitly obtained from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani has disclosed that over the past six months, there have been 61,000 reported cases of EBT card fraud, resulting in a staggering loss of $17 million in benefits.
Representing New York’s 36th district, Mamdani characterized the situation as a “crisis” in his area. Newsweek reached out to Mamdani’s office for additional comments, but as of outside normal working hours, no response has been received.
As previously stated, the food stamps program distributes benefits through EBT cards, which are loaded with funds monthly for use in participating stores nationwide. Mamdani highlighted that thieves can exploit these cards by secretly installing covert devices on the card reader to copy the card information and PIN. In response to the rising levels of EBT theft, New York Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas is actively working on legislation aimed at replacing magnet stripe cards with chip cards to mitigate fraud risks.
According to existing New York state laws, stolen SNAP funds can only be reimbursed twice if the theft occurs through methods such as phishing, skimming, or card cloning. The reimbursement process has a waiting period of 30 days.