New York City faulted for delays in getting emergency food aid to struggling families

Thousands of struggling families in New York City are waiting unacceptably long times to receive emergency food and cash aid because of delays by a city agency that violate a 2005 federal court order, advocacy groups said in new legal filings.

People who qualify for expedited Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or E-SNAP, are supposed to receive them within seven days of applying under the order. If applicants show they have an emergency, the city must give them cash aid for food the same day.

The advocacy groups filed a contempt motion Monday in federal court in Manhattan asking a judge to order the city to reduce backlogs and comply with the 2005 mandate.

They cited city records showing that from April to September of this year, about 13,700 families had to wait more than a week for E-SNAP benefits. The city’s Human Resources Administration only met the deadline to provide aid about half the time during that period, they said. In October 2022, only 20% of aid applicants got their benefits on time, the records showed.

One resident, Laquena Watson, applied for E-SNAP and cash aid in June after she gave birth to her second child, stopped working and her parental leave benefits expired. She didn’t receive her benefits until early August, and only after she reached out to the advocacy groups and they contacted the city, according to the contempt motion.

“The City’s broad and systemic failure to adequately provide E-SNAP and cash assistance to eligible New Yorkers has left thousands of families in dire straits struggling to feed themselves and their children and meet their basic needs,” Emily Lundgren, staff attorney with The Legal Aid Society, said in a statement.

Advocates say they have engaged in discussions with city officials for the past year about meeting the benefit…