New York City cash assistance reached $2.6 billion in 2025, city data shows
New York City cash assistance hit $2.6 billion in 2025, reaching 865,000 people See why welfare spending is surging and what the new budget means
New York City distributed more than $2.6 billion in cash assistance to residents in 2025, according to a review of city records. That total reached nearly 865,000 people and marked the highest level in about 30 years.
The figure is up 71% from 2022, when the city spent $1.57 billion on cash assistance. Fox News also reported that, when combined with SNAP benefits, total welfarerelated payments in 2024 exceeded $7 billion.
The increase comes as Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new budget sets aside $14.63 billion for the Human Resources Administration, the city agency that oversees welfare and social services. The article says that is a larger allocation than the previous budget and reflects the continued growth in social services spending.