NYC is getting faster at distributing SNAP and cash assistance benefits

Timely processing of applications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Cash Assistance benefits improved significantly in the first four months of fiscal year 2025, according to the latest city performance report. It’s a promising sign that the ongoing problem that’s left thousands of New Yorkers struggling to pay for food and other purchases is on the upswing even as the number of people receiving the benefits hit the highest levels in years.

Of the two, the city’s Human Resources Administration's timely processing of SNAP benefit applications saw the greatest improvement between July and October. It increased to just over 83% – nearly double the roughly 42% rate recorded during the same four months in fiscal year 2024, according to the Eric Adams administration’s mid-fiscal year checkpoint known as the Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report. Meanwhile, timely processing for cash assistance applications grew to a little over 53% – also a big leap from the meager 14% recorded in last year’s report. Processing time further improved for the month of December, growing to a timeliness rate of 86% for SNAP and 64% for cash assistance, according to data shared by the New York City Department of Social Services, which oversees the Human Resources Administration.

Molly Wasow Park, commissioner of the city Department of Social Services, described the effort to tackle the backlog, which was nearly cleared in March, as “all hands on deck.” The agency hired hundreds of people, invested in technological solutions, and got a number of waivers from the state to allow for faster processing, she explained, adding she expects timeliness to continue improving throughout the fiscal year. 

“We’ve been able to clear our backlog and to make steady improvements in our timeliness,” she said. “We’re doing this despite the fact that there is an incredible demand for the services. We are seeing caseload numbers that we haven’t seen in 20 years.” 

While it’s challenging to evaluate precisely how New York City agencies are performing, the 460 page preliminary report provides early insight into over 2,000 performance indicators ranging from the number of people experiencing homelessness, to units of affordable housing, to ambulance response times. It’s the closest thing the city and the Adams administration have to a report card. 

The Adams administration has struggled in recent years to process cash assistance and SNAP applications on time, leaving thousands of New Yorkers waiting longer than the required 30 days to receive the critical assistance to help them supplement the cost of food and pay for basic necessities or rent. Bureaucratic problems have shaken both programs as a greater volume of people have sought assistance, driven by the growing cost of living and the expiration of critical pandemic-era federal and state support like the eviction moratorium and the expansion of the Child Tax Credit.

While timely processing for SNAP and cash assistance applications in the first part of the fiscal year falls short of meeting the city’s targets of 95%, it’s still a notable improvement – one the report attributes to the Human Resources Administration taking “aggressive action” to fill staffing vacancies, invest in technology and to implement more efficient practices. Timely processing for SNAP and cash assistance applications throughout the entirety of fiscal year 2024 was a respective 65% and 42% – well below the city’s targets, but still a bit better than the year prior.

According to the report, the number of people receiving cash assistance in October 2024 was 580,900 – 17% more than in October 2023. That’s the most recipients in over two decades. More recent numbers shared by the department are even higher, with 585,000 New Yorkers receiving cash assistance – a 45% increase since the start of the Adams administration. 

It’s possible though that the return of pre-pandemic eligibility requirements, which resumed over the summer, could bring the numbers down in the future. Those require most recipients to participate in work, study or training programs to receive the benefits. A little over 1.8 million people received SNAP benefits in October – about a 6% jump from October 2023 and also the highest number in years.