Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.
New York City families: You may be eligible for $120 per child in summer food benefits this year.
The Summer EBT program, which rolled out for the first time last year, is intended to help low-income families cover costs for meals usually provided at school.
The federal benefits followed a similar program that began during the COVID pandemic and operated for several years. But though advocates described that program as a critical lifeline for families in need, some New Yorkers never redeemed their benefits, and millions of dollars in potential aid were routinely left on the table. Some critics blamed the unused funds on insufficient state outreach.
For families who have been able to take advantage of the funds, the federal programs have offered some reprieve amid rising costs. Across the state, 79% of New Yorkers reported it had become harder to afford groceries last year, with more than half of public school families experiencing signs of food insecurity, according to a poll from No Kid Hungry, a campaign from the non-profit Share Our Strength that seeks to end childhood hunger and poverty.
Still, there are key differences between the two programs. All New York City public school families received the pandemic-era benefits, but a smaller number of families are eligible for Summer EBT. And among those eligible, some New York City families will have to apply in order to receive them — a potential barrier for those who may be unaware of the requirement.
Although hundreds of thousands of New York families were eligible to receive the benefits if they applied last year, just 17,158 applications were submitted across the state, according to data obtained by David Rubel, an education consultant who has raised the alarm over unused federal benefits.
Families who had to apply represented just a fraction of those receiving the roughly $250 million in food benefits, with the funds issued automatically to more than 2.1 million eligible children last year, according to the state’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, which oversees the summer meal programs. In New York City, more than 1.1 million children received the money, officials said.
And this year, families have a longer timeline to apply for the benefits.
“Last summer, families only had two months, which is a very small window,” Rubel said. “The good news is that New York State kept the application on their website. It’s there right now, and any family can go on their website, fill it out, and submit it for summer 2025.”
Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York, praised the benefits, adding “we have a chance this year to reach more families who weren’t automatically enrolled or pulled in through last year’s outreach.
“This money makes a real difference when parents get to the register at a grocery store,” she said in a statement. “It’s on all of us to keep pushing and to find new ways to get families the benefits they’re entitled to.”
Here’s what New York City families need to know:
Who is eligible for Summer EBT benefits?
Under federal guidelines, a child is only eligible for the program if they attend a school with free lunch and meet household income requirements for free- or reduced-price school meals. (The income requirement varies based on household size, and families can check whether they are eligible here. A family of four, for example, would qualify with an annual income at or below $57,720.)
How can you apply for the benefits?
Most eligible families, including recipients of SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or Medicaid, will automatically receive the funds. Those who will automatically receive them should be notified via a letter in the summer, according to state officials.
Others will need to apply. Families can access the online application here.
When is the deadline to apply?
Families have until Sept. 3 to apply for this year’s summer food benefits.
Could Summer EBT be impacted by cuts to federal funding?
As a federal program, some observers wonder whether Summer EBT’s continuity could be at risk as President Donald Trump’s administration dramatically slashes government funding for many agencies and federal programs.
Stefan Lallinger, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, noted Republicans have proposed large, “fairly indiscriminate” cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which operates the Summer EBT program.
“It’s hard to say exactly how those are going to be implemented, but I think the bigger point here is that all of this is causing unnecessary confusion and chaos for low-income families,” he said.
Though Lallinger hasn’t yet seen a direct proposal to cut funding from Summer EBT, he said he was concerned that Republicans in the Senate rejected a proposed amendment that sought to protect against cuts to the federal school meals program — a move that signaled to Lallinger that programs like Summer EBT could be impacted in the future.
“It’s not hyperbole to say that this program is potentially in jeopardy,” he said.
Darren O’Sullivan, a spokesperson for OTDA, emphasized that Gov. Kathy Hochul remains committed to combating food insecurity among the state’s families and children.
“Programs like Summer EBT and SNAP are vital to helping families and individuals in New York, and across the country, that are struggling to make ends meet and New York State is prepared to fight back to protect these programs,” he said in a statement.
Julian Shen-Berro is a reporter covering New York City. Contact him at jshen-berro@chalkbeat.org.
