"Hochul also committed to reforms impacting some of the city's most vulnerable residents-including senior tenants and food stamp recipients-that advocates say are long overdue. The first would upgrade the state's Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards with chip-based technology to protect them against theft, an ongoing issue for low-income New Yorkers who receive either cash assistance or food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)."
"Without the security chips, the cards are vulnerable to "skimming"-in which thieves install devices on ATMs or checkout machines that can capture the account number and PIN, allowing them to drain the cardholder's funds. Between August 2023 and March 2025, the city's Department of Social Services processed more than 142,178 SNAP reimbursement claims from victims of EBT theft amounting to $43.7 million in stolen benefits."
Economic affordability initiatives include pledges to expand free childcare, extend the Second Avenue Subway across 125th Street, and update environmental review processes to ease housing construction. The state plans to raise income thresholds for two rent freeze programs to help senior tenants. The state will upgrade Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards with chip-based technology to prevent "skimming" theft of SNAP and cash-assistance benefits. Between August 2023 and March 2025, more than 142,178 SNAP reimbursement claims totaled $43.7 million in stolen benefits. Federal reimbursements for such losses ended in late 2024, leaving recipients without recourse.
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