New York, NY —

A federal judge has approved a settlement requiring the city to process food stamp applications within 30 days, or five days if the applicant has no income.

The settlement comes out of a 2004 lawsuit that was filed by the Urban Justice Center on behalf of poor families who claimed they were waiting months to receive food stamps.

Attorney Randall Jeffrey says the settlement will make a difference.

JEFFREY: Unfortunately many families wait until they are very low on food or their food has run out before taking the step of applying for food stamps. So because of that it is especially essential that when they do apply for food stamps those applications be processed in a timely manner.

REPORTER: The city will also be required to monitor the application process and ensure that time frames are being met.

The Human Resources Administration says the settlement is fair and the agency is committed to meeting its requirements.