City Reaches Deal To Adhere To Food Stamps Speed Limit

The city is settling a long-standing lawsuit that claims it is denying food stamps to those eligible. The suit accuses the city of failing to get people food stamps within 30 days of an application, as required in some circumstances under federal law. The settlement, which was agreed to this month, requires the city to adhere to the 30 day limit. The plaintiffs whose food stamp applications were delayed will not receive recompense. A federal judge, Robert Sweet of U.S. District Court in Manhattan, will hold a hearing today to determine whether the settlement is fair.

The allegations in the suit are similar to the claims in a separate suit settled by the city last year. In that case, people had been mistakenly dropped from the food stamp rolls when they started receiving federal disability payments, despite being qualified for both. In settling that suit, city and state officials agreed to provide food stamps retroactively at a cost then anticipated to run several million dollars.

Lawyers at an advocacy group, the Urban Justice Center, represented the plaintiffs in both suits.