What's happening
This bill increases public assistance monthly need standards and home energy grant amounts, with annual cost-of-living adjustments, starting July 2025.
Why it matters
Significantly increases cash and energy assistance amounts. The bill more than doubles monthly public assistance need standards and home energy grant amounts for eligible households, providing a much larger financial safety net for low-income individuals and families.
Establishes automatic annual increases. By tying future increases to the federal Social Security Administration’s cost-of-living adjustments, the bill ensures that assistance levels will keep pace with inflation, reducing the risk of benefits eroding in value over time.
Addresses rising living and utility costs. The substantial jump in both basic needs and home energy grants reflects an acknowledgment of sharply higher housing, food, and energy costs in New York, aiming to better align assistance with real-world expenses.
Impacts eligibility and administrative planning. Higher need standards could expand eligibility or increase benefit amounts for those already enrolled, affecting both recipients and the agencies that administer public assistance, and potentially requiring budget adjustments at the state and local level.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Increase Public Assistance Grants
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to social services
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to social services
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Increase Public Assistance Grants
In Assembly Committee · Social Services · Sponsor Linda Rosenthal
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1127
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. PERSAUD, BRISPORT, CLEARE, COMRIE, COONEY, GONZALEZ, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, PARKER, SALAZAR, SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to increasing the standards of monthly need and home energy grant amounts for persons in receipt of public assistance
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a-4) of subdivision 2 of section 131-a of the social services law, as added by section 1 of part D of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, is amended and a new paragraph (a-5) is added to read as follows:
(a-4) For the period beginning October first, two thousand twelve and [thereafter] ending June thirtieth, two thousand twenty-five, the following shall be the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$158 $252 $336 $433 $534 $617
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of eighty-five dollars monthly.
(a-5) For the period beginning July first, two thousand twenty-five, the following shall be the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$316 $504 $672 $866 $1068 $1234
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00647-01-5
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of two hundred eighty-two dollars monthly.
Annually thereafter, the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts shall be increased based on the current cost of living adjustments as determined by the federal social security administration.
§ 2. Paragraph (a-4) of subdivision 3 of section 131-a of the social services law, as added by section 2 of part D of chapter 57 of the laws of 2012, is amended and a new paragraph (a-5) is added to read as follows:
(a-4) For the period beginning October first, two thousand twelve and [thereafter] ending June thirtieth, two thousand twenty-five, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, less any available income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other provisions of this chapter, shall receive maximum monthly grants and allowances in all social services districts, in accordance with the following schedule, for public assistance:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$158 $252 $336 $433 $534 $617
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of eighty-five dollars monthly.
(a-5) For the period beginning July first, two thousand twenty-five, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, less any available income or resources which are not required to be disregarded by other provisions of this chapter, shall receive maximum monthly grants and allowances in all social services districts, in accordance with the following schedule, for public assistance:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$316 $504 $672 $866 $1068 $1234
For each additional person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of two hundred eighty-two dollars monthly.
Annually thereafter, the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts shall be increased based on the current cost of living adjustments as determined by the federal social security administration.
§ 3. Subdivision 3-c of section 131-a of the social services law, as amended by chapter 77 of the laws of 1989, is amended to read as follows:
3-c. (a) Commencing July first, nineteen hundred eighty-one and ending June thirtieth, two thousand twenty-five, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provision of subdivision two of this section, shall receive a home energy grant equal to the following monthly amounts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$14.10 $22.50 $30.00 $38.70 $47.70 $55.20
For each additional needy person in the household, there shall be added an additional amount of seven dollars and fifty cents.
(b) For the period beginning July first, two thousand twenty-five, persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, shall receive a home energy grant equal to the following monthly amounts:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$28.20 $45 $60 $77.40 $95.40 $110.40
For each additional needy person in the household there shall be added an additional amount of fifty dollars.
Annually thereafter, the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts shall be increased based on the current cost of living adjustments as determined by the federal social security administration.
§ 4. Subdivision 3-d of section 131-a of the social services law, as added by chapter 60 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as follows:
3-d. (a) Commencing January first, nineteen hundred eighty-six and ending June thirtieth, two thousand twenty-five, for persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, the amounts set forth in paragraph (a) of subdivision three of this section, after application of subdivision three-c of this section, shall be increased by the following amounts as a monthly supplemental home energy grant:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$11 $17 $23 $30 $37 $42
For each additional needy person in the household, there shall be added an additional amount of five dollars monthly.
(b) For the period beginning July first, two thousand twenty-five, for persons and families determined to be eligible by the application of the standard of need prescribed by the provisions of subdivision two of this section, the amounts set forth in paragraph (a) of subdivision three of this section, after application of subdivision three-c of this section, shall be increased by the following amounts as a monthly supplemental home energy grant:
Number of Persons in Household
One Two Three Four Five Six
$22 $34 $46 $60 $74 $84
For each additional needy person in the household, there shall be added an additional amount of twenty-eight dollars monthly.
Annually thereafter, the standard of monthly need for determining eligibility for all categories of assistance in and by all social services districts shall be increased based on the current cost of living adjustments as determined by the federal social security administration.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to increasing the standards of monthly need and home energy grant amounts for persons in receipt of public assistance
Purpose
This legislation will increase cash assistance grant amounts for utili- ties and food and other necessities to account for inflation.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one amends paragraph (a-4) of subdivision 2 of section 131-a of the social services law.
Section two amends paragraph (a-4) of subdivision 2 of section 131-a of the social services law.
Section three amends subdivision 3-c of section 131-a of the social services law.
Section four amends subdivision 3-d of section 131-a of the social services law.
Section five establishes the effective date.
Justification
Individuals receiving temporary assistance are provided monthly benefits to cover the cost of shelter, utilities, food and other necessities. Many families across the state rely on these benefits each month for payment of home heating bills or to purchase groceries, medications, clothing and other necessities. However, as utility costs and prices of goods have increased over the years, the grant amounts have not. The basic grant, intended to cover food and other necessities, was last raised in 2012. The utility grants have not been increased since the 1980s.
Under current levels, a single adult is provided $158 to cover the cost of food and other necessities and an additional $14.10 for their home heating costs. New Yorkers receiving temporary assistance rely on these grants to help cover everyday costs of living, but because the grant amounts have not kept pace with inflation, it is increasingly difficult for families who rely on them to escape poverty.
This legislation would adjust the basic grant and the utility grant amounts to account for inflation since the amounts were originally set in 1989 and 1981, respectively. By adjusting these amounts for inflation, individuals and families will be brought in line with the federal poverty level and be able to afford their everyday expenses, helping them to escape poverty and achieve self-sufficiency.
History
2024: S. 5270-A reported to Finance 2022: S. 9513 referred to Rules
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.