DSS-HRA-DHS Updates
Community Partners Calls
If you were not able to join our last our SNAP ABAWD briefing or quarterly call, find the recordings below:
Information Session on Federal SNAP Changes, December 8th, 2025: Please find an audio recording here and use Passcode: *b6L$rkU to listen.
Quarterly Call, December 9, 2025: Please find an audio recording here and Passcode: 4dcd$4S& to listen.
Our next Community Partner call is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd at 4pm. Register here.
Community Partners Updates
Important updates as well as an ongoing synopsis of the information shared in prior communications are on the 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.
Reminder: SNAP ABAWD Work Rules Take Effect on March 1, 2026
As a reminder, New York’s ABAWD waiver for all counties of the State except Saratoga will end on February 28, 2026. Starting on March 1, 2026, the new ABAWD work rules enacted under the H.R.1. will go into effect.
HRA will continue to screen SNAP applicants and recipients for applicable exemptions from SNAP work requirements and/or an exemption from the ABAWD time limit.
Many clients have already received the ABAWD Work Activity Letter (FIA-1021k) leading up to the March 1 ABAWD implementation date. ABAWDs should attend these appointments, where the designated PACE provider will be made aware of the waiver termination date and that tracked months for failure to comply with the ABAWD requirement will begin March 2026. This appointment is separate and apart from any other mandatory work activity appointments or assignments given as part of the individual’s Cash Assistance work assignment or SNAP E&T work assignment. During this appointment, clients will also have a chance to tell their PACE provider if they are already complying with the work requirements or believe they are exempt.
The related OTDA GIS can be accessed here.
For additional details on ABAWD work requirements, please see the ABAWD webpages maintained by NYS OTDA and NYC DSS.
Community providers can sign up for training webinars on ABAWD SNAP Work Requirements here.
Reminder about Cash Assistance Paper Applications
As a reminder, clients can apply for Cash Assistance benefits though ACCESS HRA without the need to visit an HRA Benefits Access Center (BAC) in person. Clients have the option to also apply at a BAC in person if preferred, or by mail by printing the most up-to-date forms, including current application (LDSS-2921) or recertification (LDSS-3174), which can be found on both the OTDA Applications Webpage and the HRA CA Application and Recertification Kit.
Please ensure that any printed applications available to clients at your community sites have a revision date of 07/23 or later.
Rescheduled: Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) Survey
On the night of Tuesday, March 10, 2026, the NYC Department of Social Services will conduct the 21st annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) Survey – and NYC needs your help. The HOPE survey was previously scheduled for February 3, 2026 and postponed to ensure volunteer safety while allowing homeless outreach workers to focus their resources on connecting unsheltered New Yorkers to services.
The results gathered through this survey provide the City with valuable information that helps better inform the allocation of resources to address homelessness in the city. Volunteers conduct the HOPE survey by canvassing streets, parks, subways, and other public spaces, and are needed from approximately 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. on the night of March 10. Just a few hours of your time will help ongoing efforts to support New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness and encourage them to take that first important step to come off the streets and subways and accept the vital services and supports they need and deserve.
We encourage you to volunteer on your own or with friends and family. There are HOPE training sites across the 5 boroughs you can select from. Please visit nyc.gov/hope to learn more and register.
Your participation is essential to helping address the challenge of homelessness and support some of our City’s most vulnerable residents as they get back on their feet.
Expanded Empire State Child Care Credit
In collaboration with the Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC), the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is sharing resources related to access for low-income New Yorkers and non-tax filers to the expanded Empire State Child Credit, which went into effect at the opening of tax season on Monday, January 26, 2026.
Through this credit, many New York families can receive up to $1,000 per child by filing a New York State income tax return. If families do not owe taxes because they don't have income or their income is extremely low, they can get this money as cash back. If they do owe taxes, this credit can pay for that and even provide you with additional cash.
OTDA has created a webpage and a promotional video with information about the Empire State Child Credit, along with a range of outreach materials. The goal of these materials is to underscore the importance of getting the word out about the Empire State Child Credit via trusted, community-based, local messengers, so that New Yorkers are hearing about this credit across as many channels as possible. The Governor’s office also published a press release announcing the start of the tax season, highlighting the historic ESCC that is now available to families, and encouraging New Yorkers to file.
We similarly ask that you also share these materials with members of your team and network, including low-income New Yorkers, parents, and caregivers with whom you may interact, to help spread the word, especially to those who may not think filing a state income tax return applies to them. This historic expansion is intended to put money in New Yorkers’ pockets and reduce child poverty.
New Payment Options for Fair Fares
Fair Fares NYC participants who use their discount on subways and eligible buses have new options on how they pay their fare! Participants can still choose to use the OMNY card they got from the Fair Fares NYC program. The new payment options include using a credit or debit card, mobile wallet, or a personal OMNY card. Current Fair Fares NYC participants can submit a request to switch their discount to a different payment method by logging into their ACCESS HRA account.
We also encourage clients to set up an OMNY account, where they can choose to use their bank card, mobile wallet, or their physical OMNY card. Note that the discount will only apply to one version of the card, whichever they tap first.
Discounts will no longer be applied to MetroCards, and any remaining MetroCard users were automatically switched over to OMNY on November 10, 2025.
As a reminder, all Fair Fares NYC enrollees with lost, stolen or damaged OMNY cards should report them via ACCESS HRA directly.
For more information on the Fair Fares program, eligibility criteria, and up-to-date income guidelines, visit www.nyc.gov/fairfares.
OCSS Pay It Off Program Returns in March 2026
The Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) will again offer Pay It Off. This time-limited program will run March 2 – March 13, 2026.
Pay It Off provides noncustodial parents the opportunity to reduce the child support debt they owe to the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) by double when they make a payment of at least $500. The dollar-for-dollar reduction (up to the amount owed), plus the opportunity to eliminate ALL interest when a DSS judgment is paid in full, can greatly decrease their debt. The opportunity to sign up for the Arrears Credit Program (ACP) during the Pay It Off period can further reduce their debt by up to another $2,500. ACP participants can reduce their DSS debt up to an additional $15,000 over 3 years if child support is paid consistently each year.
If you have clients who owe child support debt to DSS, please share this information with them, and if you have your own network, please forward this email to them to help get the word out. Many more noncustodial parents are eligible to participate than actually do. Help us reach more noncustodial parents.
Learn more at http://nyc.gov/payitoff.
Training Institute Child Support Information Sessions and Newsletter
HRA’s Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) Training Institute presents an ongoing free series of webinars designed to shed light on the sometimes-complicated aspects of child support. The webinars are designed for staff at city agencies and community-based organizations, as well as parents and professionals that work with those parents. Each presentation is held on a Tuesday from 10 AM to 11 AM and is followed by a question-and-answer period. For a full list of the free sessions January through June, click here: https://on.nyc.gov/ocss-ti .
If you have trouble registering for any session, please email
OCSS.TrainingInsitute@dfa.state.ny.us or visit the OCSS website at https://www.nyc.gov/site/hra/help/child-support-services.page.
See below to view the most recent OCSS newsletters:
IDNYC Card Cultural Benefits
IDNYC card is more than an ID—it’s your key to culture, savings, and experiences throughout the five boroughs. Don’t miss out—apply or renew your IDNYC card today and start enjoying the benefits!
As IDNYC celebrates 11 years of connecting New Yorkers to incredible benefits across the city, IDNYC would like to remind everyone that the card unlocks exclusive access to cultural, entertainment, and everyday savings! Whether you’re a brand-new applicant or renewing your card, which can begin up to 90 days before card expiration, applicants can take advantage of amazing perks.
Enjoy free one-year memberships to over 35 of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, including iconic destinations like the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Aquarium. Explore world-class museums, zoos, and botanical gardens—all at no cost with your IDNYC card.
Looking to save on everyday expenses? IDNYC cardholders receive:
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5% off purchases at Food Bazaar (Monday–Friday, 7 AM–7 PM)
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10% off NYC Parks and Recreation memberships
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Discounts on rental cars, movie tickets, Broadway shows, and more
See the full list of benefits here. For more information and to apply, visit the IDNYC website.
New Client Notice for HRA Documentation Collection
A new notice (FIA-1284) will be issued to clients who need to submit/resubmit information or documentation in order for HRA to make a determination on their application or recertification.
This notice will detail the reason that information is needed, such as:
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The documentation submitted is not readable
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The documentation was incomplete
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HRA needs more or different documents to support the information provided by the applicant/client
The notice will list the new documents or additional information needed and include options for submission, which include:
