What is the TEFAP income limit in New York?

225% of the federal poverty guidelines: $35,910 a year for a household of one and $74,250 for four (2026 guidelines). New York's printed table is the official one.

Do clients sign for TEFAP food at every pickup in New York?

No - the State does not require a client signature at every pickup.

TEFAP rules by State / New York

TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in New York

Q: How long must New York pantries keep TEFAP records?

4 years (current year + 3 years after FFY close).

Rules verified 2026-10-07 from Office of General Services (OGS), Food Distribution and food bank publications (sources below) · agency links checked 2026-10-10 · income table recalculated automatically from the 2026 federal poverty guidelines · sources re-checked weekly

In New York, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by Office of General Services (OGS), Food Distribution. This page sets out what a food pantry or other distribution site has to do: who qualifies, what each household declares, what you record at each visit, how long you keep it, how complaints are handled and what you report. Where New York's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

New York's TEFAP agency and official documents

Office of General Services (OGS), Food Distribution — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).

Your food bank's agreement and current forms are the final word on the figures and forms to use.

Who qualifies: the income limit

Household income at or below 225% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: TEFAP Income Eligibility Guidelines January 2026). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:

SNAP
WIC
FDPIR
TANF
Medicaid
SSI

Household size	Per year	Per month
1	$35,910	$2,993
2	$48,690	$4,058
3	$61,470	$5,123
4	$74,250	$6,188
5	$87,030	$7,253
6	$99,810	$8,318
7	$112,590	$9,383
8	$125,370	$10,448
Each additional person	+$12,780

Computed as 225% of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. Your State's printed table is the official one and may round differently or take effect on a different date.

The eligibility declaration

Form: TEFAP Attestation of Eligibility (01/2025, may not be altered). How often: annual or each visit conflict. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

names of households per distribution day
household_size
basis
date

Client signature at every pickup: No. Electronic signatures: Yes.

Proxies

food bank rules (applied equally). The proxy does not have to show ID.

What you must not collect

ID cannot be required to receive TEFAP food.

How long to keep records

4 years — current year + 3 years after FFY close.

Civil rights

Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly to USDA (separate complaint log). Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: annual frontline + before start, training log.

Posted or handed out:

AD-475A
Written Notice of Beneficiary Rights
hours of operation

Reporting

monthly to food bank, due by the 5th.

households
individuals

Age bands: 0–17 / 18–59 / 60+.

Storage temperatures

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents). Temperature log: open days, kept 90 days (FBCNY).

Also

Social Security numbers banned; signature optional, date required.

Where the sources disagree

Attestation frequency: agreement says annual; OGS page says each distribution.
LI Cares says 300% FPG vs State Plan 225%.

Ask your food bank which one they monitor against.

Sources

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Connecticut · TEFAP in New Jersey · TEFAP in Pennsylvania · TEFAP in Vermont · all States

This page describes published State and food bank documents and is not legal advice. Your State agency and your food bank agreement are the final word. See also the federal TEFAP record rule and the free TEFAP readiness checklist.

Keep these records without the paperwork — free for 30 days. PantryPOS records each TEFAP visit (who picked up, household size, eligibility basis, signature where your State wants one), keeps every eligibility declaration, reconciles TEFAP stock by lot, logs civil-rights complaints and training, and shows your State's rules on screen. Every feature, no card — $39/month per site after the trial.

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