The Legal Aid Society, New York Legal Assistance Group, and Dechert LLP have secured a Preliminary Injunction Order in Forest v. the City of New York – a class action lawsuit brought against the City for failing to process applications and recertifications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and cash assistance (CA) within the 30-day timeframe required by federal and state law.

The order requires the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) and Human Resources Administration (HRA) to come in full compliance with all federal and state processing requirements for SNAP and CA applications and recertifications, and eliminate the backlog of delays by March 2024.

These federal and state benefits are essential for low-income people to purchase food and other basic needs. The processing delays have caused tens of thousands of families to face food instability and unnecessary hardships.

The court order also includes a series of benchmarks and monitoring requirements that will be used to ensure that the City comes into full compliance.

“No family should ever be forced to forgo the critical necessities they are entitled to under Federal and New York law because of the City’s delays,” said Kathleen Kelleher, an attorney in the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society. “Our clients and all low-income families in New York City have suffered for far too long, and this court order will help bring the City’s long history of delaying access to vital, life-altering services to an end.”