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Food Stamp Program - Overview

The Food Stamp Program is a Federal/State program to help low-income families buy the food they need to stay healthy, and be productive members of society. It provides low-income households with coupons or electronic benefits they can use like cash at most grocery stores to ensure that they have access to a healthy diet. The Food Stamp Program is the cornerstone of the Federal food assistance programs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the Food Stamp Program at the Federal level through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). State agencies administer the program at State and local levels, including determination of eligibility and allotments.

This topic discusses many aspects of the Food Stamp Program. You may read the topic in sequence or jump to a specific section by following the links below:

·                   Income and Resource Standards

·                   Benefit Levels

·                   Work Rules

·                   Citizenship and Alien Rules

·                   Operating Area

·                   Authority

·                   National Hotline

·                   State Hotline/Information Numbers

·                   Online Screening Tool

·                   Additional Information

Income and Resource Standards.

Gives households who meet income and resource standards food coupons to buy food in approved food stores. (In all States now, food stamp users receive a debit card, which allows them to spend their benefits on food in approved food stores through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system.) Households must meet eligibility requirements for both resource limits and gross and net monthly income levels, and provide proof of their statements about household circumstances.

Benefit Levels.

Gives up to $162 a month in food stamp benefits (called an allotment) to a person who lives by himself and has essentially no income. Households with more than one person get less for each person because of economies of scale. For example, a 4-person household could get up to $542 a month. Households with income are expected to use about 30 percent of their own money for food; those households will get less per person than households with no income. The average monthly benefit in Fiscal Year 2006 (the latest year figures are available) was about $94 per person and $219 per household. The amounts shown in this paragraph are in effect for the Federal fiscal year 2008, beginning October 1, 2007. Maximum allotments in Hawaii and Alaska are higher, reflecting higher food prices in those areas.

Work Rules.

With some exceptions, most adults between 16 and 60 must register for work, accept suitable employment, and take part in an employment and training program to which they are referred by the food stamp office. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in disqualification from the Program.

In addition, adults not otherwise exempted between 18 and 50 who do not have any dependent children can get food stamps only for 3 months in a 36-month period if they do not work or participate in a workfare or employment and training program other than job search. These people are called "able-bodied adults without dependents", or ABAWDs. Other members of the household may continue to get food stamps even if this person is disqualified.

The work requirement for ABAWDs can be waived in some locations. A State agency may exempt up to 15 percent of its ABAWD population from the three-month time limit. Additionally, a State agency may request that the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) waive the three-month time limit for ABAWDs residing in areas of the State which have an unemployment rate of over 10 percent or which do not have sufficient jobs to provide employment for the ABAWDs.

The ABAWD work requirement does not apply to ABAWDs who reside in areas of a State granted a waiver of the three-month time limit, or to ABAWDs who are included in a State agency's 15 percent exemption allowance. All remaining ABAWDs are "at risk," meaning they are subject to the ABAWD work requirement in order to maintain eligibility for food stamps beyond 3 months.

Citizenship and Alien Rules.

The Food Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2002 provides for partial restoration of benefits to legal immigrants, with various effective dates. This provision restores food stamp eligibility to qualified aliens who are otherwise eligible AND who:

·                   are receiving disability benefits regardless of date of entry (previous law required them to have been in the country on 8/22/96) – effective FY 2003;

·                   are under 18 regardless of date of entry (previous law limited eligibility to children who were in the country on 8/22/96) -- effective FY 2004 & beyond; or

·                   have lived in the U.S. continuously for 5 years as a qualified alien beginning on date of entry -- effective April 2003.

Effective FY 2004, the provision also eliminates the deeming requirements for immigrant children that count the income and resources of the immigrant's sponsor when determining food stamp eligibility and benefit amounts for the immigrant child.

Most non-citizens were ineligible until a recent change in Federal law. The Law expands food stamp eligibility for several groups of non-citizens effective November 1, 1998. Most non-citizens who were lawfully in the United States on August 22, 1996, and who are receiving Supplemental Security (SSI) payments will be eligible for food stamps if their household meets all other food stamp eligibility requirements.

The period of eligibility for food stamps has been expanded from five years to seven years after admitted or granted status in the U. S. for many non-citizens. These include refugees, asylees, deportees (who have had their deportation withheld), Cubans, Haitians, and Amerasians.

There is no time limit for certain other non-citizens who have been admitted for permanent residence, including immigrants with credit for 40 quarters of work in this country, individuals with a military connection (veteran, active duty, spouse, or children), or a battered spouse, battered child or parent or child of a battered person. Others include individuals in the U. S. on 8/22/96, who are now under 18 years of age, or are disabled or blind as defined by the Food Stamp Act, or were 65 years of age or older at that time.

Additionally, certain members of other groups may be eligible for an indefinite period of time. These include an individual who is lawfully residing in the U. S. and was a member of a Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe at the time that tribe rendered assistance to the U. S. by taking part in a military operation or rescue operation during the Vietnam era beginning August 5, 1964 and ending May 7, 1975 and their spouse and dependent children. Also included are American Indians born in either Canada or Mexico.

Proof of citizenship is required if it is questionable. Alien status must be verified. See Section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 for more details. Recent eligibility changes are contained in the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998.

Operating Area.

The Food Stamps program operates in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Authority.

Operated by State and local welfare offices, generally at the county level. The Federal Government oversees the State operation of the Program.

National Hotline.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a toll-free number, 1-800-221-5689, that people can call to get information about eligibility and benefits in the Food Stamp Program. Callers using the number will reach a voice mail box where they can leave their name and address to receive information by mail about food stamps, including eligibility requirements, level of benefits, and other details about how the program works.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

State Hotline/Information Numbers.

See the Food Stamp State Information/Hotline Numbers topic for a list of State level resource centers. Because some of the rules are extremely complex and there are so many differences between (and within) the States, they may be able to offer guidance about them for your particular State. Additionally, they can tell you how to contact your local Food Stamp agency to determine your specific eligibility requirements and benefits amount.

Online Screening Tool.

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service operates an online Food Stamps Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool, called Food Stamps Step 1, which can help you determine if you may be eligible to receive Food Stamp benefits. To access this tool from the Internet, go to:
http://www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov/

Additional Information.

Some states use different names for the Food Stamp Program. See the Names of State Food Stamp Programs topic for more information.

Food Stamp coupons are no longer being produced or issued by states and inventories are being destroyed. However, coupons that have already been issued will continue to be honored. All states now use some form of Electronic Benefit Transfer to deliver Food Stamp benefits.

See the Food Stamp Sample Calculations topic for a simple example of eligibility and benefit computations.

People with disabilities, for whom WorkWORLD was written, may wish to review the topic "Food Stamp Special Rules for Elderly People or People With Disabilities", which contains a substantial amount of information about the general operation of the Food Stamp Program.

The State Employment and Training Handbook (revised May 2003), produced by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, provides substantial information about the various employment and training requirements of the Food Stamp program. It is produced primarily as a guide for preparing state employment and training plans, and is available in PDF format (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) online at:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Memo/Support/pdfs/handbook-2003.pdf

The Food Stamp Act governs the Food Stamp Program. The current law was enacted in 1977, and is amended regularly. The U.S. Senate staff maintains a compilation of the Act, as amended. It is available in PDF format (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) online at:
http://agriculture.senate.gov/Legislation/Compilations/FNS/FSA77.pdf

Food Stamp Rules (regulations) are published by the Federal Register in the Code of Federal Regulations, 7 C.F.R., Parts 271 through 283. The CFR is updated in January each year. The Federal Register maintains rules published in between annual publication of the CFR on its web site. The food stamp parts of the CFR are available online at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_07/7cfrv4_07.html

A list of States with waivers of able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements (7 CFR 273.24), along with the type of waiver, localities covered, and effective dates is available online in PDF format (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) at:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Memo/PRWORA/abawds/abawds.pdf

See also:

Food Stamp State Application Forms Online

Food Stamp State Information/Hotline Numbers

Names of State Food Stamp Programs

WIC - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - Overview

Source

Information in this topic was drawn from USDA website pages at:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/applicant_recipients/apps.htm
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/government/default.htm
http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/18fsavgben.htm

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