The Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program provides benefits to help families stretch their food budgets by offering prepaid electronic debit cards (electronic benefits transfer, or EBT) that can be used to purchase healthy foods, seeds and even trees or plants that produce food.
SNAP Schedule: New York Food Stamps Benefits for September 2022
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The SNAP program is federally funded but locally administrated, which means that maximum income requirements and other qualifications , as well as the funds provided, may vary by state. For instance, in New York, a family of four can receive a maximum amount of $835 per month, and an individual can receive up to $250 per month.
But a lot of New Yorkers may not know that you can also get savings and perks in a variety of places just by showing your EBT card. These discounts aren’t subsidized by the government, but are offered as a courtesy to SNAP recipients by businesses or, in the case of museums, as part of a partnership agreement with Museums for All.
Here is a list of some of the best discounts and attractions your EBT card grants you access to:
1. Museums and Attractions Across New York
The New York metro area, as well as upstate regions, are filled with fun and education for all ages. Museums and attractions in New York City and its boroughs, as well as those in other areas of the state, offer free or discounted admissions for SNAP recipients. You only need to show one EBT card for discounted membership for your entire family.
Museums include children’s museums like the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton, and the Explore & More Children’s Museum in East Aurora. Attractions for all ages including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House in Buffalo, the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning (which is currently displaying the World’s Largest Glass Pumpkin through October 31, 2022), the International Center of Photography in New York City on Essex Street, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, housed in an aircraft carrier on Pier 86 in Manhattan.
Consider calling ahead or checking the website to confirm the price for discounted admissions to these and other museums, and make sure that specific museums are still participating in the program.
2. New York Zoos
The Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY, is now offering zoo admission for just $1, good for families of up to 4 people per one EBT card. Revenue from other zoo admissions covers the program, according to an article on Rochester-based Democrat & Chronicle.