Benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will increase next month for households in New York by about $36 per person in low-income households, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced. 

The increase is due to a federal cost adjustment going into effect and will affect about 2.8 million households enrolled in the program. 

"Now more than ever, New Yorkers are seeing their money for food stretched thinner and thinner, which in turn forces them into making food choices that are cheaper, but far less nutritious," Hochul said. "This long-overdue increase in benefits will give households across New York State the purchasing power to buy nutritious foods, which in turn will ultimately result in healthier outcomes."

A family of four will see their maximum allotment under SNAP grow from $680 to $835 under the planned increase. All told, this will bring about $1.4 billion in federal aid for the fiscal year, Hochul's office said. 

At the same time, the dollar amount for the standard deduction and utility allowances is being adjusted upward. That factors in a household's gross monthyl income to determine eligibility and benefits. Gross monthyl income level was also increased to reflect economic shifts.