Last verified: May 22, 2026. If you’re in New York City and trying to figure out which relief programs are actually open right now — not last winter’s, not next year’s, not the one that closed in April — this is the up-to-the-day inventory. We pulled every dollar figure here directly from otda.ny.gov, tax.ny.gov, and access.nyc.gov, with publication dates listed at the end. Phone numbers, income limits, application URLs, and the exact form names are all here. No “may qualify” hedging — when we say a program is open, we mean the .gov page says so today.
The short list: what’s open in late May 2026
- HEAP Cooling Assistance — open now, up to $800 toward a window AC, fan, or portable unit; up to $1,000 for a wall sleeve unit. Apply on ACCESS HRA or call 718-557-1399.
- SNAP (food stamps) — open year-round, up to $994/month for a household of four under the federal allotment adjusted October 1, 2025. Apply on ACCESS HRA.
- Fair Fares NYC — open year-round, 50% off subway, bus, and Access-A-Ride.
- NY State EITC + Empire State Child Credit — claim on your 2025 return; combined federal+state+city EITC can reach $12,873 for a family with three or more qualifying children.
- STAR — Basic and Enhanced property tax relief for primary-residence homeowners; income limit raised structurally for 2026.
- NYC Care — no-/low-cost healthcare for uninsured New Yorkers regardless of immigration status. Call 1-646-NYC-CARE.
- HEAP Regular (heating) — closed April 7, 2026. Reopens in fall.
HEAP Cooling Assistance: the program with the shortest fuse
Cooling Assistance is the only HEAP benefit currently accepting applications, and it is awarded first-come, first-served until the funding runs out. The application window opened April 15, 2026, and funds historically exhaust in mid-summer. If you qualify, do not wait.
What you get:
- Up to $800 for a window air conditioner, portable air conditioner, or fan (purchase + installation combined).
- Up to $1,000 for an existing wall sleeve unit.
- One unit per household. The benefit also covers removal of the old unit and minor install repairs.
You must meet all five conditions:
- Household monthly income at or below the HEAP cooling guideline (see table below) or you already receive SNAP, Temporary Assistance, Code A SSI (Living Alone), or a Regular HEAP benefit over $21 this season.
- Someone in the household has a documented heat-aggravated medical condition or is age 60+ or is a child under 6.
- You or a household member is a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen.
- You do not have a working AC, or the one you have is at least 5 years old.
- You haven’t received a HEAP-funded AC in the past 5 years.
Income limits (gross monthly, per the published HEAP Cooling table on ACCESS NYC):
- 1 person: $3,322
- 2 people: $4,345
- 3 people: $5,367
- 4 people: $6,390
- 5 people: $7,412
- 6 people: $8,434
- Each additional person: add $672
How to apply: Submit through ACCESS HRA at a069-access.nyc.gov/accesshra/, or by phone at 718-557-1399. Older adults can get help from a local Office for the Aging or call NY Connects at 1-800-342-9871. The OTDA statewide hotline is 1-800-342-3009. If you don’t have a doctor’s letter and no one in the household is 60+ or under 6, you can self-attest to a heat-aggravated condition on the application.
If you’ve already filed your application this season but haven’t gotten a determination, you can check status through the same ACCESS HRA portal. For a deeper walkthrough of the application steps, see our prior coverage of how HEAP Cooling Assistance pays up to $800 toward an AC.
SNAP: the year-round food benefit, with 2026 income math
SNAP (food stamps) is administered in NYC by the Human Resources Administration. The federal cost-of-living adjustment effective October 1, 2025 raised the maximum monthly allotment for a household of four to $994. Your actual benefit equals the maximum allotment minus 30% of your net income — so most households receive less than the cap, but every additional dollar of countable income costs you 30¢ in SNAP.
Income test (2025–2026 federal guidelines): For most households, gross monthly income must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. New York extends a more generous 200% gross-income test when the household includes a dependent child, a member 60+, or a person with a disability and has earned income. After deductions, net income must be at or below 100% of FPL.
Timeline: HRA has up to 30 calendar days to decide your application. If you qualify for expedited processing — typically very low income plus little to no liquid resources — you can receive an initial benefit within 7 days. Apply at ACCESS HRA. If your benefits are about to lapse, recertify before your case closes; reopening is slower than recertifying.
NY State EITC + Empire State Child Credit: the refund stack still in play
If you have earned income from 2025 and haven’t filed yet — or you need to amend — the federal, state, and city EITC stack is the largest cash transfer most working New Yorkers will see all year. Per the Department of Taxation and Finance, the New York State Earned Income Credit is generally equal to 30% of your allowable federal EITC, reduced by any household credit. NYC layers its own EITC on top. Combined, a working family with three or more qualifying children can receive up to $12,873 from federal+state+city EITC.
2025 federal AGI ceilings (your floor for state eligibility):
- No qualifying children: AGI $19,104 single / $26,214 MFJ.
- 1 qualifying child: $50,434 / $57,554.
- 2 qualifying children: $57,310 / $64,430.
- 3+ qualifying children: $61,555 / $68,675.
Investment income for the tax year must be below $11,950. Filers without children must be between ages 25 and 64. To claim the NY State credit, use Form IT-215. For full-year NY residents the credit is fully refundable — you can get it as cash even if you owe no tax. Free filing help is available at NYC Free Tax Prep / VITA sites (see our walkthrough of Empire State Child Credit, EITC, STAR, and the inflation refund).
STAR: the 2026 income rule that quietly expanded eligibility
STAR is the property tax relief program for primary-residence homeowners. It comes in two benefit forms (credit, which arrives as a check or direct deposit; or exemption, which reduces the bill itself) and two benefit levels (Basic, no age requirement; Enhanced, for owners 65+).
2026 income limits (verified directly on tax.ny.gov, page updated February 10, 2026):
- Basic STAR credit: $500,000 or less in combined income of resident owners and their spouses.
- Basic STAR exemption: $250,000 or less.
- Enhanced STAR: $110,750 or less, with at least one resident owner 65+ by December 31 of the benefit year.
“Income” for STAR means federal adjusted gross income minus the taxable portion of IRA distributions. Eligibility for the 2026 benefit is based on your 2024 tax return. Two 2026 changes matter: only resident-owner income now counts (non-resident co-owners are excluded), and STAR exemption recipients no longer need to apply for the Enhanced upgrade at 65 — the state notifies the assessor automatically. Register or check status through the STAR resource center.
Fair Fares NYC: half-price transit, low-key paperwork
Fair Fares NYC gives qualifying New Yorkers a 50% discount on subway, eligible bus fares, and Access-A-Ride. Eligibility has been expanding — from the original 100% FPL ceiling, the city raised it to 120%, then 145%, and a proposed rule pushes it further to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Check the current household-size income table at nyc.gov/fairfares before assuming you don’t qualify.
How it works: Apply through ACCESS HRA or in person at one of five borough Fair Fares offices (Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.). You have 10 days after applying to submit supporting documents — typically a government-issued photo ID, the most recent prior-year tax return, and bank statements. The city reviews within about 30 days and mails an OMNY Fair Fares card; physical card delivery can take up to three weeks. Our deeper guide is here.
NYC Care: the safety-net healthcare program for uninsured residents
If you’re uninsured and don’t qualify for Medicaid, Child Health Plus, or the Essential Plan — or you’re ineligible due to immigration status — NYC Care assigns you a primary care provider at NYC Health + Hospitals locations citywide. Services are free or low-cost on a sliding scale, and enrollment is available regardless of immigration status. Call 1-646-NYC-CARE (1-646-692-2273). Renewals happen every 12 months with a financial counselor screening.
If you might qualify for marketplace coverage instead, the NY State of Health 2026 open enrollment information is at nystateofhealth.ny.gov. Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and the Essential Plan accept applications year-round outside the marketplace open enrollment window.
HEAP Regular and Emergency: closed for the season, what to do until November
The 2025–2026 Regular HEAP heating benefit closed April 7, 2026 (some sources note April 10), and the Emergency HEAP benefit closed April 24, 2026. The 2026–2027 season typically opens in November. Until then, your utility levers are:
- The Energy Affordability Program (EAP), which provides up to $500/year in discounts on energy bills. About 1 million households are enrolled; the state estimates roughly 1.5 million more are eligible but not signed up. Learn more at ny.gov/EAP.
- Utility deferred-payment agreements (DPAs) with Con Edison or National Grid before a shut-off notice escalates.
- Local Office for the Aging assistance (1-800-342-9871) if you’re a senior carrying utility arrears.
Eligibility checklist before you start filing
- Government-issued photo ID for the applicant.
- Social Security numbers (or attest no SSN) for everyone in the household.
- Proof of residence: lease, rent receipt, mortgage statement, utility bill, or homeowner’s insurance policy.
- Proof of income: most recent 4 pay stubs, the prior year’s federal return, or award letters for SSI/SSDI/UI/VA/pension.
- Medical documentation if you’re applying for HEAP Cooling on a medical basis (signed by a physician, PA, or NP, dated within 12 months).
Phone numbers, forms, and where to appeal
- OTDA statewide hotline: 1-800-342-3009.
- NYC HEAP (cooling, emergency, heating equipment): 718-557-1399.
- NY Connects (older adult and disability resource line): 1-800-342-9871.
- NYC 311 for benefits navigation.
- NYC Care enrollment: 1-646-NYC-CARE.
- NY State Tax & Finance refund tracker: tax.ny.gov/pit/file/refund.htm.
- EITC claim form: Form IT-215.
- STAR registration: tax.ny.gov/star.
Appeals. If a HEAP or SNAP application is denied or you disagree with the benefit amount, you have the right to a fair hearing. Request one through OTDA: 1-800-342-3334 (statewide fair hearing line) or online at otda.ny.gov/oah. You generally have 60 days from the date on the determination notice to request a fair hearing. If you’re applying for Fair Fares and your application is denied, the denial notice will include instructions for re-applying with additional documentation.
What’s not actually a stimulus, even if it gets called one
A note on language: there is no federal “stimulus check” program currently issuing payments in May 2026. The COVID-era Economic Impact Payments ended years ago. If you missed one of those, the IRS deadline to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for tax year 2021 was April 15, 2025 — past that, the credit is forfeited. Anyone messaging you about a new federal stimulus check in May 2026 is most likely running a scam. Real federal relief — EITC, Child Tax Credit — flows through your tax return, not through unsolicited DMs, texts, or “verification” links. The IRS and NY State Tax Department do not text you links to claim refunds.
How to think about layering these programs
The mistake most households make is treating these programs as one-at-a-time choices. They stack. A working family of four earning $5,800/month in gross income could simultaneously: (a) receive SNAP based on the 200% FPL gross test, (b) qualify for HEAP Cooling Assistance under the $6,390 household-of-4 ceiling, (c) collect federal+state EITC on their 2025 return, (d) ride at 50% off via Fair Fares, and (e) enroll uninsured children in Child Health Plus. None of these crowd each other out. The income for one program doesn’t disqualify you from another unless that other program’s rules say so explicitly — and most of these programs use different countable-income definitions.
If you have the bandwidth for only one application this week and you’re heat-vulnerable, do HEAP Cooling first. It’s the only one with a closing fuse. Everything else accepts applications year-round.
Primary sources verified for this article
- Governor Hochul HEAP announcement, December 1, 2025 — governor.ny.gov (verified the $996 cap, $80,165 income figure, EAP $500 discount).
- ACCESS NYC HEAP program page, last updated January 8, 2026 — access.nyc.gov (verified application deadline April 7, 2026 and Cooling Assistance window).
- ACCESS NYC Cooling Assistance program page — access.nyc.gov (verified $800 / $1,000 caps, five eligibility conditions, income table).
- NY State Department of Taxation and Finance, STAR eligibility, updated February 10, 2026 — tax.ny.gov.
- NY State Department of Taxation and Finance, Earned Income Credit, updated July 25, 2025 — tax.ny.gov.
- OTDA HEAP program landing page — otda.ny.gov.
Last verified: May 22, 2026. Dollar amounts on this page reflect figures published on official .gov sources as of that date. Income tables, application windows, and benefit caps are subject to change — when filing, confirm current numbers on the program’s official page before submitting.
