N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 18, § 398-13.4 – Disclosure to recipient or person acting on the recipient’s behalf.

(a) The recipient or person acting on the recipient’s behalf, as authorized by the recipient, can access information and report changes to the case record over the phone after office staff has verified their identity.
(b) The case record shall be available for examination at any reasonable time by the recipient or their authorized designated representative upon reasonable notice to the office. The only exceptions to access are:
1. (1) those materials to which access is governed by separate statutes or regulations;
2. (2) those materials being maintained separately from public assistance files for purposes of criminal prosecution and referral to the district attorney's office; and
3. (3) the county attorney’s or welfare attorney's files.
(c) Information may be released to a person, a public official, or another social services agency from whom the recipient has requested a particular service when it may properly be established that the client has requested the inquirer to act on their behalf and when such information is related to the particular service requested.