For many years the Benefits Plus Leaning Center has offered an Immigrants’ Eligibility Chart which is designed for social service professionals working with individuals who are non-citizens.  The chart contains the immigration criteria for over 25 public benefit programs and is newly designed to identify programs that provide cash, food, health, etc.The chart, as well as [...]

On May 19, 2024, New York's EBT system will be changing over to a new EBT vendor.  Cardholder access to EBT benefits will not be available during the changeover. This includes access for food and cash purchases or cash withdrawals, as well as access to the EBT toll-free customer service helpline, mobile app, and online client [...]

The 2023-24 New York State Budget created two new earned income disregard rules for Cash Assistance recipients.  In addition, the social services law was amended to require districts to approve participation in an educational and/or vocational training program, which includes, but is not limited to, a two-year post-secondary degree program. These new rules are detailed in [...]

Households now have the ability to lock their EBT card.  The lock feature will prevent benefits (Cash Assistance, SNAP, & HEAP), from being accessed, as well as prevent purchases, balance inquiries and most other transactions until the card is unlocked.The NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance (OTDA) released this new feature as a tool to [...]