Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP)
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling in New York. Trained counselors go through your costs and choices with you, and they don't sell plans.
Food
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for seniors in New York
New York's SNAP puts a monthly amount on an EBT card to help you buy groceries.
If everyone in your SNAP household is 60 or older, you may also use SNAP at participating restaurants with a 10% discount, and older adults with no job income may be able to use a short application and renew less often.
How to apply in New York
- By phone
- 1-800-342-3009
- In person
- Apply at your county Department of Social Services office. In New York City, go to an HRA SNAP Center.
- By mail
- Call or write your local social services office to have an application mailed to you, or print one from the OTDA website, then mail or fax it back.
Applying is free. Nobody should charge you to apply.
Apply on the official siteWho may qualify in New York
| Savings limit, household with someone 60+ or disabled, gross income at or under 200% of poverty | No limit Source: New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (source 3) |
|---|---|
| Savings limit if gross income is over 200% of poverty (Oct. 2026 to Sept. 2027) | $4,750 |
| Gross income limit for the no-savings-test rule (broad-based categorical eligibility) | 200% of the poverty level (households with someone 60+ or disabled) Source: New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (source 3) |
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| How long approval lasts, older adults with no job income on the simplified application (announced 2021) | 36 months |
|---|
How New York is different
Where New York's rules differ from the federal rules for SNAP for seniors.
- Short two-sided application for qualifying older adults and people with disabilities who have no job income (announced 2021)
- No interview at renewal for those households (announced 2021)
- Restaurant Meals Program: if everyone in your SNAP household is 60 or older (or their spouse), disabled or homeless, you may use SNAP at participating restaurants with a 10% discount. You are enrolled automatically.
Sources: Office of the Governor of New York (source 4), New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (source 5)
Good to know
- New York says adults younger than 65 who can work and have no child under 14 at home must meet work rules to get SNAP for more than three months in three years. These rules apply in all counties starting March 1, 2026, with exceptions such as a health problem that limits work.
- In New York City you can also apply at access.nyc.gov, or call 1-877-472-8411 or 311.
- USDA's State Options Report (data as of October 2024) lists New York as running the Elderly Simplified Application Project.
Sources: New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (source 2), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration (source 7)
Free help
Free help with this in New York
New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA)
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in New York
SNAP food benefits in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, SNAP Frequently Asked Questions (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, 16-ADM-06: Expansion of Categorical Eligibility for SNAP Households with Earned Income (June 2016) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Office of the Governor of New York, Governor Hochul Announces Actions to Increase Access to Food Assistance for Older Adults and Disabled New Yorkers (Nov. 2021) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information: FY 2027 standards (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP State Options Report, 17th Edition (data as of October 2024) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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