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The Fair Fares NYC Program helps New York City residents with low incomes manage their transportation costs by providing them with a 50% discount on public transportation. Eligible New York City residents receive a 50% discount on subway and eligible bus fares. Pay-per-Ride, weekly unlimited, and monthly unlimited options are all available. Fair Fares can also provide 50% off MTA Access-A-Ride paratransit trips.
Fair Fares NYC applications are open to eligible New Yorkers, ages 18-64, whose household income meets program income eligibility requirements. Subway and eligible bus discounts are open to New Yorkers who do not have, and are not eligible for, discounted transportation from the MTA or the City. If individuals meet the Fair Fares NYC eligibility criteria, they may be eligible for the Fair Fares NYC discount on Access-A-Ride fares even if they are already enrolled in the MTA reduced-fare Program for persons with disability or have an Access-A-Ride MetroCard.
Fair Fares enrollment is simple and can be completed online: Apply for Fair Fares on ACCESS HRA! View the “How to Enroll” videos in English and Spanish.
Many Cash Assistance and SNAP recipients can ride for half price. Each non-elderly adult should log into ACCESS HRA or create an account to complete their enrollment.
Encourage everyone to ride for half price with Fair Fares by sharing our Fair Fares NYC Social Media Toolkit and short video about the program.
The City has also created Fair Fares outreach materials - including palm cards, brochures, and posters that community organizations and others can order in bulk and have delivered free of charge through the Design and Print Ordering System (DPOS).
Community Partners interested in ordering outreach materials for the first time, should email DPOS Customer Service at DPOSCustomerService@dss.nyc.gov to have their organization/agency registered in the system. Once completed, the requestor will receive an email with a link to create an account, allowing their organization/agency the ability to order from HRA's catalog.
Organizations and agencies with already existing DPOS accounts, should log into their account using the appropriate link below:
The Fair Fares NYC FAQs and Suggested Document List can be found here.
We continue to offer training on the Fair Fares NYC program and the application process for community and advocacy organizations, municipal agencies, and Elected Officials' office staff. Register for an upcoming session here.
Relocation of DSS-HRA’s Common Benefit Identification Card (CBIC) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Services Office
Effective Monday, February 3, 2025, the Common Benefit Identification Card (CBIC) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Services office located at 227 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 will be relocating to 785 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238. Clients will receive a notice informing them of this change.
This move will not affect any existing cases and does not require any action from current clients.
The days and hours of operations remain Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
If you have any questions about this relocation, please contact dssoutreach@dss.nyc.gov.
Guidance on Providing Confirmation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation for Household Members of Social Security Administration (SSA) Recipients
Until recently, a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient was required to live in a “public assistance household” to qualify for increased SSI benefits. This required all household members with whom the SSI recipient lives receive a means-tested public income-maintenance (PIM) program benefit which included receipt of Public Assistance (PA).
A recent rule change from the Social Security Administration (SSA) includes SNAP as one of the programs that permits a household to be considered a “public assistance household”. Additionally, instead of requiring all household members receive a PIM program benefit, the rule change now only requires that at least one other household member receives a benefit. As a result, additional households may need to confirm SNAP enrollment for a member of a household of a SSI recipient, to qualify that SSI individual for a higher SSI benefit.
A SNAP recipient living in the same household as an SSI recipient may obtain documentation to provide proof of their SNAP participation from their account in myBenefits or ACCESS HRA or by requesting a document from their local district that confirms their SNAP enrollment. The “How to Document Receipt of PA or SNAP” document provides instructions to explain how an individual may find this information in myBenefits or ACCESS HRA. SNAP recipients may then provide that information themselves to SSA to confirm the “public assistance household” status for the SSI recipient.
NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Seeking Immigrant Services Concept Paper Feedback - Deadline: Today, January 14th
The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) is excited to release our Immigrant Services concept paper to obtain feedback that will assist DYCD to develop upcoming requests for proposals (RFPs). Feedback must be submitted no later than today, January 14, 2025.
The Concept Paper outlines 3 anticipated competitions:
- Competition 1: Legal Services for Immigrants—serves immigrant New Yorkers through access to information on legal rights, processes, and resources and access to adequate legal services, including comprehensive legal representation.
- Competition 2: Legal Services for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence— serves immigrant survivors of domestic violence and trafficking through access to adequate legal services, including comprehensive legal representation.
- Competition 3: Immigrant Families—serves immigrant families through opportunities to build resiliency, strengthen bonds, and to flourish as a family unit through provision and connection to social services and supportive and inclusive family programming.
The Concept Paper can be found through the PASSPort Public Portal here.
There are a variety of ways to provide feedback:
1. PASSPort: Organizations can submit written feedback on the concept paper, using the questionnaire section in PASSPort. Please note, to respond to this forthcoming RFP and all other Human/Client Services RFPs, organizations must have an account and an approved HHS Prequalification application in PASSPort. Proposals and Prequalification applications will ONLY be accepted through PASSPort. If you do not have a PASSPort account or an approved PASSPort HHS Prequalification Application, please visit www.nyc.gov/passport to get started. Questions regarding PASSPort can be submitted through MOCS support desk at MOCS Support.
2. Feedback Form: If you do not have a PASSPort account, you can still submit feedback on the concept papers here.
Office of Child Support Services (OCSS): Pay It Off Debt Reduction Program for Noncustodial Parents with Child Support Debt
OCSS is excited to announce that Pay It Off will be offered from March 3-14, 2025. This time-limited program could help noncustodial parents lower the amount of permanently assigned child support debt they owe to the New York City Department of Social Services (NYC DSS) twice as fast. If they sign up for the Arrears Credit Program (ACP) while participating in Pay It Off, they can receive a sign-up bonus of up to $2,500. $15,000 can be further reduced over a period of three years by adhering to the ACP program rules. Furthermore, if noncustodial parents pay the principal of a money judgment, all interest will be erased! More than 4,500 noncustodial parents have participated in a past Pay It Off (PIO) program. The average debt reduction to arrears owed to NYC DSS per case is $4,800. Learn more at https://nyc.gov/payitoff.
New Outreach Flyer Available to Help Clients Keep EBT Card and Benefits Secure
The Office of Community Outreach is pleased to introduce our newly designed client outreach flyer, created to help individuals protect their EBT cards and public benefits from electronic theft. As digital scams and skimming devices become more prevalent, safeguarding benefits has never been more important. The flyer highlights essential security features available to help prevent scam-related theft, and practical tips such as how to protect a PIN and monitor accounts for suspicious activity. By following these simple steps, individuals can reduce their risk and ensure their benefits remain secure when needed most. Please take a moment to review the flyer and share it within your organizations and with your clients.
The flyer titled “Protect Your EBT Benefits in 5 Steps” can be accessed here and can be ordered for distribution and use on the DSS Design and Print Ordering System (DPOS). Please note that the resource can be found in the "SNAP, Food Program and Cash Assistance" section of the Outreach Catalog. The easiest way to locate the document is by entering "FLY-1175" in the "Search Product" field. The flyer is available in the following languages: English (E), Arabic (A), Albanian (AL), Bengali (B), Chinese Simplified (SC), Chinese Traditional (TC), French (F), Haitian Creole (HC), Italian (I), Korean (K), Polish (P), Russian (R), Spanish (S), Urdu (U), and Yiddish (Y).
Community Partners interested in ordering this new flyer (in bulk and delivered free of charge) from HRA and are ordering for the first time, should email DPOS Customer Service at DPOSCustomerService@dss.nyc.gov to have their organization/agency registered in the system. Once completed, the requestor will receive an email with a link to create an account, allowing their organization/agency the ability to order from HRA's catalog.
Organizations and agencies with already existing DPOS accounts, should log into their account using the appropriate link below:
Using the DSS OneNumber Self-Service Feature
The DSS OneNumber (formerly Infoline) offers a quick way for clients to get accurate information about their case without waiting to speak with a DSS OneNumber agent.
Clients can use the DSS OneNumber self-service feature to hear automated case information and request certain forms for some of the Agency's largest benefit programs, including SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Cash Assistance, Medicaid, HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program), and HASA (HIV/AIDS Services Administration).
It is important to note that clients can also use ACCESS HRA to apply for some HRA benefits, submit documents for their application, manage their case, and much more! Read the ACCESS HRA Users Guide for more information.
How to Access the Self-Service Feature
To access the self-service feature, follow the steps below:
- Choose your spoken language
- Press 1 when prompted with "If you have applied for benefits or already have a case, you can get information without waiting for an agent"
- Enter the requested information to locate your HRA case
- Choose one of three identifiers (listed below):
- Social Security Number
- Case number
- ACCESS HRA confirmation number
- Enter the number associated with the selected identifier
- Enter the date of birth for the case member whose information you provided
Types of Self-Service Information and Requests Available for Clients
The list below provides the automated case information and form requests that are available to clients who use the self-service feature.
SNAP & Cash Assistance
- Application or case status
- Appointment information
- Benefit amount
- Case member details
- Budget letter requests
- Payment information
- Recertification information
- Request forms
Medicaid
- Application or case status
- Coverage type & status
- Deferral status
- Deferral extension requests
- Individual status
- Renewal status
- Request forms
- Surplus information
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
- Application status
- Benefit period
- Benefit status
- Benefit type
- Payment amount, status, and type
HIV/Aids Services Administration (HASA)
- Assigned Center
- Case-by-case financial assessment (CBCFA)
- application date
- benefit amount
- benefit type
- status
- Case Worker's email address
Self-Service Feature for Medicaid Providers
Medicaid providers can use the self-service feature to get case status and case information for their Medicaid clients.
To access the self-service feature, follow the steps below:
- Choose your spoken language
- Press 1 when prompted with "If you have applied for benefits or already have a case, you can get information without waiting for an agent"
- Enter the requested information to locate your client's Medicaid case
- Choose one of three identifiers (listed below)
- Social Security Number
- Case number
- ACCESS HRA confirmation number
- Enter the number associated with the selected identifier
- Enter the date of birth for the case member whose information you provided
DSS Office of Community Outreach Trainings & Event Requests
Community Partner Trainings and Presentations
The DSS Office of Community Outreach (OCO) offers trainings and presentations to community-based organizations, elected officials and their staff, and other municipal agencies. These virtual trainings are conducted multiple times per month and allow for flexible scheduling. The OCO currently offers the following trainings:
- ACCESS HRA General Overview Webinar
- ACCESS HRA Provider Portal Webinar
- ACCESS HRA Benefit Application Webinar
- CityFHEPS Program Overview and Renewal Application Webinar
- DSS Overview Webinar
- EBT Skimming and Replacement Benefits Webinar
- Fair Fares Program Overview and Application Webinar
- Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Webinar
- IDNYC Program Overview and Document Requirement Webinar
- Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program Overview and Application Webinar
Click here to view training descriptions and register for an upcoming virtual session.
Organizations interested in requesting any of the trainings listed above specifically for their staff (10 or more) should complete and submit the DSS Training Request Form and someone will be in touch to schedule. Contact CommunityEducation@dss.nyc.gov if you have any questions or encounter issues submitting the form.
Community Partner Event Requests
The DSS Office of Community Outreach (OCO) welcomes requests to participate in events hosted by community partner organizations. Please complete and submit the Community Partner Event Attendance Request Form to request DSS presence at your event and the Outreach Events unit will follow-up on a first come, first serve basis to arrange for DSS representation. Contact OutreachEvents@dss.nyc.gov if you have any questions or encounter issues submitting the form.
Resources/Helpful Links:
ACCESS HRA Client Portal: ACCESS HRA is an online benefits portal and mobile app for New York City residents. With ACCESS HRA, clients can apply or recertify for many HRA benefits, manage their case(s), and much more. Clients can also submit and keep track of documents for their application(s) using the NYC ACCESS HRA mobile app.
ACCESS HRA Help Desk/Online Support: Resolves ACCESS HRA technical issues and answers benefit/site-related questions.
ACCESS HRA Provider Portal: a provider-facing website that allows clients to grant permission to community-based organizations providing direct social services benefit enrollment assistance and/or ongoing case management to New Yorkers in receipt of HRA-administered benefits.
Design and Print Ordering System (DPOS): Community Partners interested in ordering outreach materials (in bulk and delivered free of charge) from HRA and are ordering for the first time, should email DPOS Customer Service at DPOSCustomerService@dss.nyc.gov to have their organization/agency registered in the system. Once completed, the requestor will receive an email with a link to create an account, allowing their organization/agency the ability to order from HRA's catalog.
Organizations and agencies with already existing DPOS accounts, should log into their account using the appropriate link below:
DSS Disability Access: HRA can help by providing supports or accommodations to clients with disabilities to make getting the services they need easier. This type of help is called a reasonable accommodation. Click here to learn more about how to request one.
DSS Office of Community Outreach (OCO) Trainings: Intended for community-based organizations, elected officials and their staff, and other municipal agencies. These trainings are conducted multiple times per month and allow for flexible scheduling.
DSS OneNumber (formerly Infoline): 718-557-1399
DSS/HRA Provider Tools & Supports
DSS Training Request Form: For organizations interested in requesting trainings offered by the Office of Community Outreach specifically for their staff (10 or more)
DSS - HRA - DHS Webpages
EBT Customer Service Helpline: 1-888-328-6399
ebtEDGE: Cardholder portal and mobile application that allows clients to manage their EBT cards, check their balances/transactions, change their PIN, lock/unlock/replace their cards and more!
Find a Partner Organization: Includes Community-Based Organizations who can help complete applications and screen applicants for eligibility to the various programs. Some locations also assist with submitting documents to DSS electronically. Contact the organizations listed for more information
NYC 311: Non-emergency municipal services are available online, by texting 311-692, or by calling 3-1-1 from within the City or 212-NEW-YORK outside the five boroughs. TTY service is also available by dialing 212-504-4115.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA): responsible for supervising programs that provide assistance and support to eligible families and individuals. OTDA’s functions include: Providing temporary cash assistance; providing assistance in paying for food; providing heating assistance; overseeing New York State’s child support enforcement program; determining certain aspects of eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits; supervising homeless housing and services programs; and providing assistance to certain immigrant populations.
Sign up for important updates from DSS/HRA: If you received this newsletter by way of a partner organization or colleague and have yet to sign up on your own, click here to receive relevant resources, agency updates, and opportunities that may interest you and the communities you serve.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership, and for all that you do every day to help New Yorkers in need.
Sincerely,
Office of Community Outreach
NYC Department of Social Services
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