It's Your Money NYC: Hold Your Government Accountable

Funding for '09

$65,661,000

Employees

1,574

Who funds this program?

City

17,405,000 (27%)

State

16,173,000 (25%)

Federal

32,083,000 (49%)

How is the money spent?

Salaries

61,809,000 (94%)

Supplies and Materials

1,045,000 (2%)

Other Services

2,805,000 (4%)

What your money funds:

This program funds the federal Food Stamp Program for NYC. As of Oct. 1, 2008, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the new name for the traditionally named Food Stamp Program.

1. There are 20 food stamp centers throughout the City - four in the Bronx, eight in Brooklyn, four in Manhattan, three in Queens and one in Staten Island.
2. According to HRA/DSS, in FY08, approximately 1.2 million individuals received food stamps in NYC. Half of these recipients were also receiving cash assistance from HRA/DSS.
3. Food Stamp and Nutrition Outreach Program (FSNOP): FSNOP educates the public about the available benefits, eligibility rules, and the application process of the Food Stamp Program. The program also disseminates information on good nutrition and advice on stretching the food dollar. The staff conducts outreach in communities citywide.
4. Food stamps can be used to purchase food or food products, including vegetable seeds, baby formula, diet food, diabetic foods, spices, herbs, water, ice and snack foods. They cannot be used for prepared hot foods, vitamins, animal food, alcohol, tobacco and medicine.
5. Eligibility Determination: The amount of benefits the household gets is called an allotment. The net monthly income of the household is multiplied by .3, and the result is subtracted from the maximum allotment for the household size to find the household's allotment (which is determined based on poverty and income levels by the federal government). For example, a household making $1,163 net monthly income would get $239 in food stamps each month.

Below is a chart detailing the maximum monthly allotment allowed for each type of household (Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2009):

People in Household	Maximum Monthly Allotment
1	$176
2	$323
3	$463
4	$588
5	$698
6	$838
7	$926
8	$1058
Each additional person...	$132