New Yorkers collected $2.6 billion in welfare cash payments last year, city data shows

New York City distributed $2.6 billion in cash welfare payments to 864,999 residents in 2025, a 30-year high and 71% increase from 2022. Combined with SNAP, welfare payments totaled $7 billion in 2024. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's policy to tax luxury second homes targeting the wealthy, including billionaire Ken Griffin, sparked controversy.