DSS-HRA-DHS Updates - June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

DSS-HRA-DHS Updates

Quarterly Community Partners Call

If you were not able to join our last quarterly call on June 24, 2025, please find an audio recording here and use Passcode: cvx@L3U2 to listen.

Community Partners Updates

Important updates as well as an ongoing synopsis of the information shared in prior communications are on our DSS Community Updates page. We encourage you to use and share this link to answer questions on the many topics we have covered.

Anyone interested in being added to the list of invitees for our community call, community updates communications relevant resources and agency updates can sign up here.

2024-2025 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Cooling Assistance Component Closing

The 2024-2025 HEAP Cooling Assistance Component benefit officially closed Monday, June 23, 2025, at 5:00pm. All applications submitted online via ACCESS HRA, or postmarked and received on or before the deadline will be processed.

To help New Yorkers find relief from the heat, New York City cooling centers will be open throughout the five boroughs during heat emergencies. To find a cooling center, including accessible facilities closest to you, call 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay Service, or TTY: 212-504-4115) or visit the City's Cool Options Map which include free spaces that offer air-conditioned spaces to escape the heat.

Essential Plan Cooling Program

Governor Hochul announced a new cooling program that provides free air conditioners to eligible New Yorkers who are enrolled in the State’s Essential Plan and live with persistent asthma. This initiative helps people with persistent asthma manage their increased risk of health issues linked to rising temperatures. It aims to prevent asthma-related emergency visits and hospital stays, which will lower health care costs.

To qualify, you must submit an application for the Essential Plan Cooling Program and meet the following eligibility requirements:

Be enrolled in NY State of Health’s Essential Plan
Have persistent asthma
Meaning you experience asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing attacks, chest tightness, or chest pain much of the time or need a daily medication for asthma to control your symptoms
Have not received a cooling unit in the past five years through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Cooling Assistance Component.
Request installation at the permanent residential address on file with NY State of Health
Agree to program terms and conditions

Applications should only take 5-10 minutes to complete and are processed on a first come, first served basis until August 31 while funding lasts. Applicants get an update on if their application was approved within two to three weeks.

To learn more about the program, click here.

2025 Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Program

OTDA will begin issuing 2025 Summer EBT benefits in June 2025.

Summer EBT is a food benefit program that helps low-income families with school-age children buy groceries during the summer when kids might not have access to school meals. The Summer EBT benefit is a one-time benefit issued for each eligible child. In 2025, the benefit amount is $120.

Starting June 2, 2025, eligibility letters for Summer EBT 2025 have begun to be mailed and will continue throughout the summer. These letters will take several weeks to be delivered. If you receive an eligibility letter, you will receive a benefit. Benefits will begin to be available on June 18, 2025, and will continue throughout the summer. If you do not receive an eligibility letter or your child's Summer EBT benefit by August 1, 2025, please call the Summer EBT Helpline at 1-833-452-0096.

Most eligible children will automatically receive Summer EBT food benefits, however, some families may need to apply.

Comprehensive program information, including detailed eligibility criteria, application instructions, and FAQs, is available here.

Note: Summer EBT benefits are being issued by OTDA. HRA/DSS is not the administering agency for this benefit and as such won’t be able to provide information on application status, eligibility, or issuance status.

Summer Meals Program Operating from June 27 – August 29, 2025

The 2025 NYC Public Schools Free Summer Meals Program is available across New York City, and it's completely free for anyone who's 18 years old or younger. Families can find these meals at NYC Public Schools, community pool centers, parks, libraries, and other specified locations.

No sign up or ID is needed to participate. Just head to one of the free meal locations and enjoy a delicious breakfast and lunch. Halal options are available at certain locations.

Breakfast Service Time: 8 AM - 9:15 AM
Lunch Service Time: 11 AM - 1:15 PM

Additionally, food truck service operates from 10am-4pm on weekdays and 10am-3pm on weekends at the following locations:

Manhattan: Sara D. Roosevelt Park (Chrystie St. & Forsythe Street New York, NY 10002)
Brooklyn: Prospect Park (Parkside & Ocean Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11215)
Bronx: Haffen Park (Ely Avenue & Hammersley Avenue Bronx, NY 10469 by the baseball field & basketball courts)

Please share information with families about this program using the Summer Meals Toolkit, which contains flyers and social media images available to post.

EBT Pick-Up Schedule (July – December 2025)

Below is the EBT Pick-Up Schedule for July – December 2025. This form (EBT-52) informs applicants of when their benefits are first available to them.

Support for EBT Chip Card Technology Legislation

New York City has issued a memorandum in support for the proposed amendment to Section 95 of the Social Services Law, which would require the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) to implement EMV chip technology in EBT cards by June 21, 2027.

As you are well aware, EBT skimming and cloning have had a devastating impact on low-income New Yorkers. As of January 2025, more than 120,000 skimming claims have been approved in NYC alone for SNAP and Cash Assistance, totaling nearly $48 million dollars in replacement benefits, 90% of which were for SNAP benefit replacement. Unfortunately, as of December 2024, federal authorization to replace stolen SNAP benefits has expired, and DSS/HRA can no longer issue reimbursements for these losses.

Modernizing EBT cards with chip technology is a critical safeguard. EMV chip cards generate a unique transaction code with each use, making them much harder to copy than traditional magnetic stripe cards. This technology is already the industry standard in commercial banking and has been adopted in states like California and Oklahoma.

In addition to enhancing security, chip technology would enable DSS/HRA Cash Assistance clients to use their EBT cards on MTA buses and subways, and access OMNY discounts, providing much-needed convenience and mobility.

We know many of you have been advocating for this change, and we want to underscore that we are fully aligned. We believe it’s important to show unified support for protecting New Yorkers from ongoing and preventable benefit theft.

Following the passage of the bill in the State Senate, the focus now shifts to securing action from the Assembly. If you're connected to advocacy efforts or in contact with elected officials, we encourage you to share your support for this legislation (S1465/A699). Raising awareness, both within our networks and publicly, can help keep momentum around this issue strong.

Support for Expansion of IDNYC

New York City (NYC) supports the New York State Assembly Bill A6662 and Senate Bill S163, which mandates acceptance of the New York City identity card (IDNYC) as a primary form of identification at all banking organizations.

IDNYC is the free, municipal identification card for New York City residents, ages 10 and up, and provides access to a wide variety of services and programs offered by the City. IDNYC benefits all city residents, regardless of their immigration status, including those from some of our most vulnerable communities – the unhoused, youth, the formerly incarcerated, and others who may have difficulty obtaining a government-issued photo ID. IDNYC is an important tool for accessing mainstream financial products like bank accounts, and has the potential to help its 1.68 million cardholders fully participate in the City’s economy. Since the launch of IDNYC in 2015, NYC has also partnered with ten banks and credit unions who currently accept IDNYC as a primary form of identification for opening a bank account.

Having a bank or credit union account can help individuals avoid reliance on high-cost alternative services, such as check cashers and non-bank fintech, build credit activity and banking relationships that provide greater access to loans and mortgages, use direct deposits as a safer way to receive payments, and make online purchases while limiting losses due to unauthorized use.

IDNYC as a primary identification also has potential to reduce the racial wealth gap in New York City. Unbanked households in New York City are concentrated in neighborhoods that consistently fall among those with the highest poverty rates and the lowest median household income, and where residents are predominantly Black and/or Latino.

Expanding primary identification options at banks and credits unions to include IDNYC will improve New Yorkers’ access to safer, mainstream banking services.

Reminder – Fair Fares has transitioned to OMNY

MetroCard is ending–current Fair Fares MetroCard holders can request an OMNY card via ACCESS HRA . Otherwise, they will automatically receive one when they renew their program enrollment or request a replacement card.

Clients will receive a new OMNY card for their subways and eligible buses discount one of several ways via the ACCESS HRA Fair Fares portal:

Selecting the subways and eligible buses discount type in a Fair Fares enrollment application
Selecting the subways and eligible buses discount type in a Fair Fares renewal
Reporting a MetroCard lost or stolen
Switching discount type from Access-A-Ride to subways and eligible buses
Completing the new ‘Switch Fair Fares Discount from MetroCard to OMNY’ form found in the Quick Links section of the portal homepage.

Updated FAQs are now available for reference, along with an instructional video to help amplify this update.

The ACCESS HRA client portal can be found here.

To go directly to the Fair Fares NYC application or home page, go here.

DSS Office of Community Outreach Trainings & Event Requests

Community Partner Trainings and Presentations

The DSS Office of Community Outreach offers specialized training and presentations tailored for staff, advocates, and volunteers working across community-based organizations, elected officials' offices, and municipal agencies. These sessions are held multiple times a month, offering flexible scheduling options. 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
Electronic Benefit Theft and Replacement Claim Process 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
Medicaid Renewal Process 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: For answers benefit/site-related questions, use the Contact Us form linked or email: accesshrahelpdesk@dss.nyc.gov.

ACCESS HRA Technical Support: For technical issues with ACCESS HRA, email: accesshrasuppapp@dss.nyc.gov. In the message, please include a screenshot of the error, a description of the issue and the ACCESS HRA username.

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. To learn more, visit the Provider Tools section of the DSS/HRA website. If you’d like to request access to the Provider Portal, please begin with submitting an expression of interest via the ‘Interested in Joining the ACCESSHRA Provider Portal?’ form.

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:

NYC Agencies: https://nycdssagencies.myprintdesk.net/
(CBO) NYC DSS Partners: https://nycdsspartners.myprintdesk.net/

DSS Disability Access: HRA can help by providing supports or accommodations to client’s 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) Virtual Training Sign-Up: 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. Use the DSS Training Request Form if interested in requesting a training session specifically for your organization (for groups of 10 or more).

DSS OneNumber (formerly Infoline): 718-557-1399

DSS/HRA Provider Tools & Supports

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