NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City has promised to speed up its process for approving and recertifying SNAP applications as part of a settlement with The Legal Aid Society, NYLAG and Dechert LLP.
A lawsuit filed against the city claimed it failed to handle SNAP applications within the 30-day timeframe set by federal and state law.
The Legal Aid Society said on Monday that as part of the settlement, the city’s Human Resources Administration will overhaul its system for SNAP so that recipients see their benefits without delays.
The HRA will also make the following changes:
Set and meet benchmarks for processing applications and renewals promptly
Limit call-in interview wait times, provide same-day callback options and guarantee everyone who asks for an in-person interview to be offered one
Modernizing its online and mobile platforms, including easier document upload to ACCESS HRA, receipts and tools to prevent wrongful denials
Report application approval times, call wait times and case processing
Train employees on new procedures
Advocates said that the settlement will help hundreds of thousands of low-income New Yorkers get SNAP benefits quickly and efficiently, without needing to deal with bureaucratic red tape.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
“For too long, low-income New Yorkers have been forced to wait—sometimes for months—for the food and cash benefits that federal and state law guarantee them,” The Legal Aid Society staff attorney Emily Lundgren said in a statement. “This settlement finally holds the City accountable and ensures that families can access life-sustaining benefits without facing unnecessary red tape, technical barriers, or bureaucratic neglect.”
The changes to how SNAP applications are processed in New York City come after the USDA threatened states to hand over beneficiaries’ data. New York had until Monday to decide if it would comply.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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