NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has stiffed thousands of low-income New Yorkers on their food stamps and cash assistance benefits, leaving them in a state of “hunger and immense distress,” sometimes for months on end, according to a lawsuit filed late Friday.
Under federal and state law, the city’s Human Resources Administration must process applications for food benefits and cash aid within 30 days. The food benefits are issued via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, and the monetary benefits come from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Safety Net Assistance programs.
But the Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit charges that as of late last month, roughly 28,000 such aid applications were overdue, some going back as far as September — meaning roughly half of all claims before HRA aren’t being processed on time in alleged violation of the laws.
