As the rising costs of groceries and fuel continues to take a bite out of New Yorkers' wallets, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced the maximum allowable level of food benefits under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be available this month. 

All households receiving benefits under SNAP will continue to receive a supplemental allotment this month, Hochul said. All told, the development means $234 million in federal funding will be spent. 

"Too many hardworking New Yorkers continue to feel the effects of the pandemic -- struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table," Hochul said. "My administration will continue taking action to support our most vulnerable communities, and the $234 million in SNAP benefits announced today will provide the necessary funding to ensure hundreds of thousands of New York households avoid food insecurity."

Households that are at or already near the maximum benefit of $835 for a household of four will receive an additional payment of at least $95. 

SNAP households outside of New York City will see those benefits post sometime between Tuesday and Monday, Sept. 26. Households in new York City will have their benefits post between Friday and Thursday, Sept. 26. 

"These supplemental payments have increased SNAP recipients' purchasing power at a time when struggling families are confronting higher prices at the grocery store," New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel Tietz said. "This assistance is helping spur New York's continuing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by helping New Yorkers put healthy food on the table."