Are you confused about the numerous benefit and assistance programs offered by New York state and city government and whether you qualify? There is a lot of information to digest out there and it's constantly changing. Both Access NYC and My Benefits are two helpful sites that allow you to screen for your eligibility for public assistance. You can do so anonymously or by creating an account. You will be asked to enter some basic information about yourself and your family to determine eligibility.

If you know which program you want to apply for, take a look at this NYC Department of Social Services directory, outlining the various programs it administers to residents of the city. Applications for many NYC assistance programs can be found here.

The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance also has FAQs on a variety of state assistance services.

Call 311 with any questions.

Want more background information? Below are some additional resources. Click on the title to reserve at your library today.

• Social Welfare: Fighting Poverty and Homelessness by Melissa J. Doak
• All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America? by Joel Berg
• Repairing the U.S. Social Safety Net by Martha R. Burt and Demetra Smith Nightingale
• The Welfare State Nobody Knows: Debunking Myths About U.S. Social Policy by Christopher Howard