The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) program is open and accepting applications! NYC residents can apply via ACCESS HRA.HEAP (known as “regular HEAP”) provides assistance to low-income households to help pay for energy expenses. HEAP benefits are either sent as a direct payment to the household’s heating/utility vendor, or as a one-time cash benefit directly to [...]

SNAP ReplacementAs a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, states were permitted to use federal money to replace SNAP benefits lost due to EBT skimming. The authority to replace these benefits was originally set to expire on September 30, 2024, and now has been extended through December 20, 2024.Cash ReplacementRules on replacing cash benefits [...]

Effective October 1, 2024, the following changes have been made to the SNAP program:Increase in the income guidelines, click here for a full chart of the updated income guidelines.Slight increase to the benefit amount,Increase in certain deductions: the shelter cap, as well as the homeless deduction have increased.You can view all updates using our SNAP Budget [...]

Both the Essential Plan and Qualified Health Plans have expanded the citizenship/immigration criteria to include individuals granted deferred action through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Essential Plan’s inclusion of DACA recipients is effective August 1, 2024, and Qualified Health Plans inclusion will be November 1, 2024.The expansion allows DACA recipients with higher incomes [...]