New York City families still have time to claim two summer food benefits before school starts. The federally funded summer EBT program pays low-income families $120 per school-age child to cover groceries while school cafeterias are closed — families already on SNAP or Medicaid are automatically eligible and the money lands on their EBT cards, while everyone else below the income threshold can apply until Sept. 8. One catch: benefits expire 122 days after they’re loaded, so advocates say to spend them before they lapse. Separately, the NYC Department of Education’s summer meal program serves free breakfast and lunch to every child under 18 at schools, parks, pools, and libraries across the city — seven days a week, no application, no ID required, running through Sept. 4. Find sites at schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/summer-meals. The state expects to issue about $240 million to roughly 2 million eligible children, and the help matters more than usual this summer: new SNAP work requirements have already cut benefits for more than 22,000 New Yorkers, and advocates call summer “the hungriest time of year” for families.
NYC Kids: $120 Summer EBT and Free Meals Through Sept 4
Summer EBT gives low-income NYC families $120 per child — apply by Sept 8 — and the DOE serves free breakfast and lunch to every kid under 18 through Sept 4, no application or ID needed.