New York State has already sent $189 million in Summer EBT benefits to about 1.6 million low-income kids as part of the federally funded 2026 program, and expects to reach roughly 2 million children with around $240 million total when fully disbursed. Each eligible child gets $120 loaded onto an EBT card that works like SNAP at grocery stores and farmers markets; most families on SNAP, Public Assistance, or Medicaid are enrolled automatically, and others can apply at ny.gov/SummerEBT through Sept. 8, 2026. The $120 expires 122 days after issuance, so it’s best to spend it soon.
To qualify, a child must attend a school in the National School Lunch Program and meet the free or reduced-price meal income thresholds — the program plugs the big gap that opens when school meals stop in June. A USDA demonstration found summer benefits cut the share of children with very low food security by a third. Hunger and anti-poverty groups and local officials — like Joel Berg of Hunger Free America, Richard Buery Jr. of Robin Hood, Assemblymember Maritza Davila, and No Kid Hungry — stressed that Summer EBT is critical for families and helps neighborhood stores and markets.
The announcement lands as federal nutrition programs face Republican-backed cuts in Congress, and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand framed New York’s push as increasingly important. Governor Hochul also secured state funding in the FY27 budget: $51 million for HPNAP, an extra $15 million to expand it to regional food banks and pantries, $55 million for Nourish NY, and $395 million to reimburse school meal costs to keep Universal Free School Meals going. The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is administering the program and coordinating outreach with school districts, food advocates and state agencies, and OTDA has outreach materials available for partners.