If money, health coverage, or school support has gotten harder to manage, New York has help. New York benefits programs cover disability income, health insurance, food, heating costs, cash assistance, tax credits, child care, and special education. Many state programs start at myBenefits or NY State of Health, and the table below shows where to apply for each one.
New York benefits programs at a glance
Program | What it helps with | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) | Monthly income when a medical condition stops you from working | Social Security Administration (SSA), or with help from Turnout |
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | Monthly income for older adults and people with disabilities who have limited income | SSA, or with help from Turnout |
VA Disability | Monthly payments for conditions connected to military service | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) |
Medicaid | Free or low-cost health coverage | NY State of Health or your local department of social services |
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Subsidies | Lower premiums on private health plans, plus the Essential Plan | NY State of Health |
Medicare / Healthcare Advocacy | Health insurance for older adults and some people with disabilities, plus help using it | SSA to enroll, Turnout for advocacy |
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Money for groceries | myBenefits, or ACCESS HRA in New York City |
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) | Healthy food and nutrition support for families with young children | Your local WIC office |
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) | Heating and cooling costs | myBenefits or your local HEAP office |
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | Cash help for basic needs | myBenefits, or ACCESS HRA in New York City |
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) | A tax credit for working people | Your federal and New York tax returns |
Child Tax Credit | A tax credit for families with children | Your federal and New York tax returns |
Child Care Assistance (CCAP) | Help paying for child care | Your local department of social services |
Individualized Education Program (IEP) / Education Advocacy | Special education services at school | Your school district's special education committee |
Disability and income
SSDI
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) pays monthly benefits to people who can't work because of a serious medical condition and who paid into Social Security through their jobs. The Social Security Administration (SSA) runs SSDI. In New York, a state disability office reviews the medical side of each claim for SSA.
You can apply at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or at a local Social Security office. For one-on-one help gathering medical records and completing forms, you can apply for SSDI with Turnout.
Official resources: SSA's disability benefits overview and the Blue Book listing of impairments, SSA's list of conditions that can qualify.
SSI
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) pays monthly benefits to people with very limited income and savings who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled. SSA runs SSI, and you can qualify whether or not you have a work history.
New York adds its own monthly payment called the State Supplement Program (SSP). The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) runs it. SSP is tied to SSI, so you generally don't file a separate application for it.
Apply through SSA by phone or at a local office. If you'd like someone with you through each step, you can get one-on-one help with your SSI application from Turnout.
Official resources: Understanding SSI from SSA and New York's State Supplement Program from OTDA.
VA Disability
VA disability compensation is a monthly, tax-free payment for veterans with an illness or injury connected to their military service. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decides every claim.
New York adds support of its own. The New York State Department of Veterans' Services (DVS) offers free help from its benefits advisors. Many New York localities also offer property-tax exemptions to eligible veterans, including the Alternative Veterans' Exemption and the Cold War Veterans' Exemption.
You file your claim directly with VA, online at VA.gov or by mail. To learn about the other veterans resources Turnout offers, visit our veterans benefits page.
Official resources: VA disability compensation, the New York State Department of Veterans' Services, and New York's veterans property-tax exemptions.
Health coverage
Medicaid
Medicaid is free or low-cost health coverage for people with lower incomes, including children, pregnant people, adults, and people with disabilities. In New York, the Department of Health runs Medicaid.
Most people apply through NY State of Health, the state's official health plan marketplace, or by calling 1-855-355-5777. If you're 65 or older, or you already have Medicare, you usually apply through your local department of social services instead. In New York City, that's the Human Resources Administration (HRA).
Official resources: the federal Medicaid program from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and New York State Medicaid from the Department of Health.
ACA Subsidies
Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies are tax credits that lower the monthly cost of private health insurance. New York runs its own marketplace, so New Yorkers shop and enroll at NY State of Health rather than HealthCare.gov.
New York also offers the Essential Plan. It's a low-cost option for adults with lower incomes who don't qualify for Medicaid. Eligibility rules can change from year to year, so check the current details before you apply.
Enroll at NY State of Health. One application checks you for Medicaid, the Essential Plan, and marketplace savings together.
Official resources: Essential Plan information from NY State of Health and the federal overview of the ACA Marketplace.
Medicare / Healthcare Advocacy
Medicare is federal health insurance for people 65 and older and for younger people with certain disabilities, and you enroll through SSA.
New York adds free Medicare counseling through HIICAP, the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program, run by the New York State Office for the Aging. The state also runs EPIC (Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage), which helps older New Yorkers with prescription costs.
Once you're enrolled, Turnout's healthcare advocacy team can coordinate your doctors, review your bills for errors, and handle denied claims. It's covered by Medicare, so most members pay nothing out of pocket.
Official resources: the Medicare overview, Medicare Savings Programs (help paying Medicare costs), and New York HIICAP.
Food and nutrition
SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) gives you money each month for groceries. It's loaded onto an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card at the store. Some people still call it food stamps.
In New York, OTDA oversees SNAP, and your local department of social services handles your case. Outside New York City, you can apply online through myBenefits, in person at your local department of social services, or by mail. In New York City, apply through ACCESS HRA, in person, or by mail. After you apply, you'll have an interview.
Official resources: the federal SNAP program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and New York SNAP from OTDA.
WIC
WIC, short for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, helps families with young children eat well. It covers foods like milk, fruit, and formula, along with nutrition counseling and breastfeeding help, for pregnant and postpartum parents, babies, and young children up to age 5.
In New York, the Department of Health runs WIC through local agencies at clinics, hospitals, and community centers. You can qualify even if you work or have other coverage.
To apply, contact a local office. You can find your local WIC office through the New York State Department of Health or call the state's Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006.
Official resources: the federal WIC program from USDA.
Home and cash help
LIHEAP
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program that helps households pay heating and cooling costs. In New York, it's called the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), and OTDA runs it.
HEAP includes a regular benefit and an emergency benefit if you're about to lose heat. It can also help repair or replace a broken furnace, and some households can get cooling help in summer. Each part opens and closes on its own schedule.
Apply for HEAP at myBenefits or at your local HEAP office. In New York City, HRA handles HEAP.
Official resources: the federal LIHEAP program from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and New York HEAP from OTDA.
TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is federal funding that states use for cash help to families with low incomes.
New York calls its cash program Temporary Assistance, and OTDA runs it in two parts. Family Assistance serves families with children. Safety Net Assistance serves single adults, couples without children, and others who can't get Family Assistance.
Outside New York City, apply at myBenefits or your local department of social services. In New York City, apply through ACCESS HRA. Most applicants have an interview and may need to take part in work activities.
Official resources: the federal TANF program from ACF and New York Temporary Assistance from OTDA.
Tax credits
EITC
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal credit for people who work and earn a low to moderate income. It can lower the tax you owe or add to your refund.
New York has its own Earned Income Credit, run by the Department of Taxation and Finance. New York City residents may also qualify for a separate city credit. You claim both on Form IT-215 with your state return.
You don't fill out a separate application, because you claim the credit when you file your federal and state tax returns. The state's page explains how to claim New York's earned income credit.
Official resources: the federal EITC from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit is a federal credit for families raising children. It lowers your taxes and can add to your refund.
New York's version is the Empire State Child Credit, run by the Department of Taxation and Finance. You claim it on Form IT-213 with your state return. The rules have changed in recent years, so check the current version before you file.
The state explains how the Empire State Child Credit works. For plain-language guides, see our Child Tax Credit articles.
Official resources: the federal Child Tax Credit from the IRS.
Children and education
Child Care Assistance (CCAP)
The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps families with lower incomes pay for child care. It's for parents who are working, looking for work, or in school or job training.
In New York, the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) oversees CCAP. Your local department of social services handles applications. In New York City, the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) handles most of them. Families usually pay a share of the cost based on income.
You can apply for child care assistance through OCFS, which links to your local office. Our child care assistance guides walk through the process in other states too.
Official resources: federal child care assistance from the Office of Child Care.
IEP / Education Advocacy
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written plan for the special education services a student with a disability gets at school. IEPs come from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
In New York, each school district's Committee on Special Education (CSE) handles evaluations and IEPs for school-age students. For younger children, the district's Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) handles preschool evaluations and IEPs. The state's Section 200.4 procedures lay out the steps for referral, evaluation, and IEP development, so check that page for current timelines.
To start, send a written referral to your district's CSE chairperson or your child's principal. For one-on-one support, work with a Turnout education advocate. It starts with a free case review. You'll find more in our education advocacy articles.
Official resources: federal IDEA and the New York State Education Department's Part 200.4 procedures.
What this means for you
You don't need to apply for everything at once. Say you're a parent in Buffalo whose hours were just cut. You might start SNAP and HEAP on myBenefits this week, then check NY State of Health for coverage.
- Pick two or three programs from the table that match what's hardest right now.
- Gather your papers. Most applications ask for ID, proof of address, proof of income, and, for disability claims, medical records.
- Start with one portal. myBenefits, NY State of Health, and SSA cover most of this list.
- Ask for help if you want it. You can reach our team and talk it through with a person.
FAQ
I live in New York City. Do I use myBenefits?
For SNAP and cash assistance, New York City residents apply through ACCESS HRA instead. For health coverage, you still use NY State of Health.
Does it cost anything to apply for benefits in New York?
No. Every government application in this guide is free to file on your own.
What can I do if New York denies my application?
For programs like SNAP, HEAP, Temporary Assistance, and Medicaid, you can ask for a fair hearing. Your denial notice explains how to request one and the deadline to do it.
Turnout is not a law firm and does not provide legal or tax advice
It's your turn
You don't have to sort through all 14 programs alone. Radar by Turnout is a free eligibility check. You answer plain-language questions about your state, your household, and your income. In about three minutes, it shows you which benefit programs you might qualify for, and you'll have a clear place to start.