2023 New York Laws › SOS - Social Services › Article 5 - Assistance and Care › Title 1 - General Provisions › 131-N - Exemption of Income and Resources.

* §  131-n.  Exemption  of  income  and  resources.   1. The following
  resources shall be exempt and disregarded in calculating the  amount  of
  benefits  of any household under any public assistance program: (a) cash
  and liquid or nonliquid  resources  up  to  two  thousand  five  hundred
  dollars  for  applicants, three thousand seven hundred fifty dollars for
  applicants in households in which any member is sixty years  of  age  or
  older  or  is  disabled  or  ten thousand dollars for recipients, (b) an
  amount up to four thousand six hundred fifty dollars in a separate  bank
  account  established  by  an  individual  while  currently in receipt of
  assistance for the sole purpose of enabling the individual to purchase a
  first or replacement vehicle  for  the  recipient  to  seek,  obtain  or
  maintain  employment,  so  long  as the funds are not used for any other
  purpose, (c) an amount up to one thousand  four  hundred  dollars  in  a
  separate  bank  account  established by an individual while currently in
  receipt of assistance for the purpose of paying tuition at a two-year or
  four-year accredited post-secondary educational institution, so long  as
  the  funds are not used for any other purpose, (d) the home which is the
  usual residence of the household, (e) one automobile, up to ten thousand
  dollars fair market value,  through  March  thirty-first,  two  thousand
  seventeen;  one  automobile,  up  to eleven thousand dollars fair market
  value,  from  April  first,  two  thousand   seventeen   through   March
  thirty-first,  two  thousand  eighteen; and one automobile, up to twelve
  thousand dollars fair market value, beginning April first, two  thousand
  eighteen  and thereafter, or such other higher dollar value as the local
  social services district may elect to adopt, (f)  one  burial  plot  per
  household  member  as  defined  in department regulations, (g) bona fide
  funeral agreements up to a total of one thousand five hundred dollars in
  equity  value  per  household  member,  (h)  funds  in   an   individual
  development  account  established in accordance with subdivision five of
  section three hundred fifty-eight  of  this  chapter  and  section  four
  hundred  three  of  the  social  security  act,  (i) for a period of six
  months, real property which the household is making a good faith  effort
  to sell, in accordance with department regulations and tangible personal
  property necessary for business or for employment purposes in accordance
  with  department  regulations,  and  (j)  funds  in  a qualified tuition
  program that satisfies the requirement of section 529  of  the  Internal
  Revenue  Code of 1986, as amended, and (k) funds in a New York achieving
  a better life experience savings account established in accordance  with
  article eighty-four of the mental hygiene law.
If  federal  law  or regulations require the exemption or disregard of
  additional  income  and  resources  in  determining  need   for   family
  assistance,  or  medical assistance not exempted or disregarded pursuant
  to  any  other  provision  of  this  chapter,  the  department  may,  by
  regulations  subject  to  the  approval  of  the director of the budget,
  require social services officials to exempt or disregard such income and
  resources. Refunds resulting from earned income  tax  credits  shall  be
  disregarded in public assistance programs.
2.  If  and  to  the  extent permitted by federal law and regulations,
  amounts received under section 105 of Public Law 100-383  as  reparation
  payments  for  internment  of  Japanese-Americans  and  payments made to
  individuals because of their status as victims of  Nazi  persecution  as
  defined  in P.L. 103-286 shall be exempt from consideration as income or
  resources for purposes of determining eligibility for and the amount  of
  benefits  under any program provided under the authority of this chapter
  and under title XX of the Social Security Act.
3. The department is  authorized  to  establish  regulations  defining
  income and resources. The department is further authorized to promulgate

  regulations it deems necessary to prevent the improper establishment and
  use of accounts for purchase of first or replacement vehicles.
* NB Effective until August 22, 2025
* §  131-n.  Additional  exemption of income and resources pursuant to
  federal law and regulations. 1. If federal law or  regulations  require,
  as  a  condition  of qualifying for federal financial participation, the
  exemption or disregard of income and resources in determining  need  for
  aid  to  dependent  children,  or  medical  assistance  not  exempted or
  disregarded pursuant  to  any  other  provision  of  this  chapter,  the
  department  may,  by regulations subject to the approval of the director
  of the budget, require social services officials to exempt or  disregard
  such  income  and  resources.  Such  exemptions  and disregards shall be
  limited solely to income resulting from  increases  in  social  security
  benefits  authorized  by  Public  Law 92-336, and refunds required to be
  disregarded in federally aided programs by Public Law 94-164 for  months
  prior  to July first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, or any other federal
  law extending the requirement that refunds resulting from earned  income
  tax credits be disregarded in federally aided programs.
2.  If  and  to  the  extent permitted by federal law and regulations,
  amounts received under section 105 of Public Law 100-383  as  reparation
  payments  for  internment  of  Japanese-Americans  and  payments made to
  individuals because of their status as victims of  Nazi  persecution  as
  defined  in P.L. 103-286 shall be exempt from consideration as income or
  resources for purposes of determining eligibility for and the amount  of
  benefits  under any program provided under the authority of this article
  and under title XX of the Social Security Act; provided,  however,  that
  such  treatment  shall be applied in the home relief program only to the
  extent that it is permitted under federal law in the program of  aid  to
  dependent children.
* NB Effective August 22, 2025