The city has eliminated its lengthy backlog of applicants seeking SNAP and cash assistance, the Department of Social Services (DSS) announced Monday.
According to DSS, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and cash assistance program peaked in summer 2023 with some 50,000 low-income New Yorkers receiving benefits. However, 46,000 cash assistance applicants and 4,000 SNAP applicants were left on the waiting list hoping to receive aid. The backlog also led to a court order issued in August 2023 mandating that the city come into compliance and resolve the open applications by March 2024.
On March 4 DSS Commissioner Molly Park declared that this backlog has now been almost completely eliminated. Approximately 97% of the SNAP applicants have been serviced, while another 90% of the cash assistance applicants have also been handled.
“We acted with urgency to address historic increases in the volume of applications, deploying all agency resources and doubling down on efforts to process a significantly higher number of applications over a very short period of time. As a result of technological enhancements, investments in staffing, and strategic process changes, DSS is on track to eliminate backlogs impacting processing delays for cash assistance and SNAP benefits, and the agency is better positioned to handle unprecedented caseloads in the future,” Park said.
Still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, DSS reported that the agency faced a record high number of requests for financial and food assistance since federal pandemic-related support expired — a sign that many people were unable to bounce back after thousands of businesses were shuttered and jobs were lost.
In response, the city apparently implemented what they called a “robust plan” to swiftly sift through the thousands of requests.
Hiring nearly 1,000 new staff members since January 2023, focusing on training, and processing applications online remotely, the DSS said it worked feverishly to process more than 60,000 SNAP and cash assistance claims. Initially, the city streamlined the application process online for submissions, making it easier for applicants and allowed the agency to track and eliminate the backlogs that impacted processing.
In addition to the virtual aid, DSS continued to retain its physical locations with Benefits Access Centers and SNAP Centers.
“Whether it’s support for children and families facing mental health issues, those needing food assistance, or those accessing cash assistance, we are committed to uplifting individuals and families in need so they can thrive, not just survive,” Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom said.
The Legal Aid Society had filed a class action lawsuit in January 2023 against the DSS and the Human Resources Administration for failing to quickly process the outstanding SNAP and cash assistance applications within the 30-day timeframe under federal and state law. A judge agreed, leading to the March 2024 resolution deadline set in the August ruling.
“Following a court injunction issued last August that set a March 2024 deadline for the City to come into full compliance with the law, we are very pleased that the Adams Administration was able to correct the egregious backlog of applications filed by low-income New Yorkers for these life-saving benefits,” the Legal Aid Society said in a statement Monday. “Going forward, we will continue to hold the City accountable for any processing delays that adversely impact our clients. Lastly, we await further details from the City on how the backlog was reduced to ensure that any eligible household received the benefits entitled to them by the law.”
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