What You Need to Know About Cash Assistance from HRA

Call our Access to Benefits helpline 888-663-6880 Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

You can apply for cash assistance (also known as welfare or public assistance or “PA”), Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP, formerly food stamps) at your local HRA Job Center. To see where job centers are located click here.

HRA must respond to your application in writing within 30 days if you are applying for:

• cash assistance and have a child under 18 years old living with you (in most cases)
• SNAP
• Medicaid

HRA must respond to your application in writing within 45 days for cash assistance if you have no child under age 18 living with you (and in some cases even if a child is living with you).

Your application can include requests for emergency needs and special allowances like: expedited food stamps, immediate needs grant, utility arrears; rent arrears; homeless carfare for apartment search; restaurant allowance; furniture allowance; clothing allowance; storage fees; pregnancy allowance.

If you receive a notice that your benefits are going to be denied, or reduced, or discontinued, whether it is because of the work rules and is a “sanction,” or for another reason, you should request a fair hearing.

If HRA is reducing or discontinuing your benefits because of the work rules, this is called a “sanction,” and you should go to your job center immediately and tell the worker that you are willing to comply with the work rules. If you do this before the sanction is on your case, you can prevent it from happening. If you do it after the sanction is on your case, you can have it removed.

How do I request a fair hearing?

You can request a fair hearing in 5 ways:

1. Call: 518-474-8781 or toll free 800-342-3334

2. Fax: 518-473-6735

3. Write: New York State OTDA
Office of Administrative Hearings
P.O. Box 1930
Albany, New York 12201

4. Online “E” Request

5. Go in person: 14 Boerum Place, 1st Floor, Brooklyn (corner of Boerum and Livingston Streets)

When should I request my fair hearing?

Request a Fair Hearing right away! You can request a fair hearing as soon as you receive a notice of decision that you disagree with, or if your benefits or services are changed without notice.

You must request a fair hearing within 60 days of the date of the notice for public assistance and Medicaid issues, and 90 days for SNAP (Food Stamp) issues.

If you request the hearing within 10 days of the date of the notice, you can get “aid continuing”, i.e., your benefits should continue unchanged until the hearing decision is made.

For additional resources to prepare for your fair hearing visit Project FAIR (Fair Hearing Assistane Information & Referral).

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.