This article is intended to give an overview of the welfare system in the U.S. State of New York.

Food Stamps (SNAP)

Under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp program, low income individuals and families are provided financial assistance for purchasing food. This may also include Emergency Food Assistance and Expedited Benefits.

Temporary Assistance / Cash Assistance

The

Welfare Reform Act of 1997 Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

(the state response to the federal

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) is a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The bill implemented major changes to ...

of 1996) created two programs, Family Assistance (FA) and Safety Net Assistance (SNA), to be state-directed and county-administered implementations of the constitutional mandate to aid, care and support the needy.

Family Assistance (FA)

In the Family Assistance (FA) program, the state implementation of the federal Temporary Aid to Needy Families Program (TANF), eligible families may receive up to 60 months of cash assistance.

Safety Net Assistance (SNA)

Under the Safety Net Assistance (SNA) program, single individuals without children, and families who have already received cash assistance for 60 months, may receive benefits. An individual or family may receive SNA for up to 24 months unless exempt from work requirements or HIV-positive, after which the local government directly pays rent and utilities with a small cash allowance.

Medicaid / Child Health Plus

NY State of Health NY State of Health is the health insurance marketplace, previously known as health insurance exchange, in the U.S. state of New York, created in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The marketplace operates a website ...

is the state

health insurance marketplace In the United States, health insurance marketplaces, also called health exchanges, are organizations in each state through which people can purchase health insurance. People can purchase health insurance that complies with the Patient Protectio ...

and also determines eligibility for

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and per ...

and

Child Health Plus A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

Women, Infants, Children (WIC)

Child nutrition programs

The federal

Food and Nutrition Service The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FNS is the federal agency responsible for administering the nation’s domestic nutrition assistance programs. The service helps to add ...

has several programs, administered by state agencies, that help fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, and after-school programs for providing healthy meals to children: * National School Lunch Program, * School Breakfast Program, * Child and Adult Care Food Program, * Summer Food Service Program, * Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and * Special Milk Program.

References

External links

myBenefits
from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
ACCESS NYC
from the NYC Human Resources Administration {{Contemporary social welfare programs in the United States