Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

NYBenefitsGuide.com is an independent informational website that helps New York State residents find information about public benefit programs including SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance, cash aid, and utility help.

We are not affiliated with New York State, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), or any government agency.

Contact: support@nybenefitsguide.com

2. Information We Collect

NYBenefitsGuide.com does not require users to create an account or submit personal information to use this website. We may collect the following limited information automatically:

• Usage data — pages visited, time spent on pages, browser type, and device type (collected anonymously via analytics tools)
• IP address — collected automatically by our web server for security and traffic analysis purposes
• Search queries — if you use the county search feature on our homepage, your search terms may be logged anonymously
• Email address — only if you contact us directly at support@nybenefitsguide.com

We do not collect sensitive personal information such as Social Security Numbers, income details, benefit case numbers, or financial information.

3. How We Use Information

Any information we collect is used solely to:

• Improve the website content and user experience
• Understand which pages and counties are most visited
• Respond to emails sent to support@nybenefitsguide.com
• Monitor for security issues or abuse

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Cookies

NYBenefitsGuide.com uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to analyze site traffic, improve user experience, and serve advertisements. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

We may use the following types of cookies:

• Analytics cookies — to understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics)
• Advertising cookies — Google AdSense uses cookies to serve personalized ads based on your browsing history and interests
• WordPress cookies — standard cookies set by the WordPress platform for site functionality

You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time. You can also opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ad Settings or aboutads.info.

5. Third-Party Links

Our website contains links to external government websites and official resources including mybenefits.ny.gov, nystateofhealth.ny.gov, and county DSS websites. These external sites have their own privacy policies and we are not responsible for their content or practices.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external site you visit through links on our pages.

6. Analytics

We may use Google Analytics or similar tools to collect anonymous data about how visitors use our site. This data helps us understand which content is most useful and how to improve the site.

Google Analytics collects information such as your approximate location, browser type, and pages visited — but does not identify you personally. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On.

7. Advertising — Google AdSense

NYBenefitsGuide.com uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google AdSense is an advertising service provided by Google LLC that uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.

Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the internet. You may opt out of personalized advertising by:

• Visiting Google Ad Settings
• Visiting aboutads.info
• Installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On

For more information on how Google uses data when you use our site, visit: How Google uses data from sites that use Google services.

Ads displayed on this site are provided by Google AdSense and are not endorsements of any product or service by NYBenefitsGuide.com.

8. Children’s Privacy

NYBenefitsGuide.com is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, please contact us at support@nybenefitsguide.com and we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Continued use of this website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us:

📧 support@nybenefitsguide.com

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 1–3 business days.