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Eligibility and Issuance Requirements

For Households to receive Food Stamp Benefits they must meet certain eligibility requirements in the following areas:

If you think you may be eligible for food stamp benefits, download an application form , fill it out, and submit it to your local County Welfare Department .

Citizenship/Immigration Status

Certain non-citizens such as those admitted for humanitarian reasons and those admitted for permanent residence are eligible for food stamps. Eligible household members can get food stamp benefits even if other members of the household are not eligible. Food stamp eligibility is available to most legal immigrants who:

  • Have lived in the country for five (5) years, or
  • Are receiving disability-related assistance or benefits, regardless of entry date, or
  • Are children under 18 years of age regardless of entry date.

Non-citizens who are in the U.S. temporarily, such as students, are not eligible. A number of States have their own programs to provide benefits to immigrants who do not meet the regular Food Stamp Program eligibility requirements. California's program is the California Food Assistance Program.

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Income

Food stamp households, except those containing an aged or disabled member or where all members receive cash assistance, are subject to gross and net income determination tests. Gross Income – all non-excludable income from any source including all earned income and all unearned income. The maximum gross allowed is 130% of the Federal poverty level (FPL) or 165% of the FPL if the household has an elderly or disabled person who qualifies to be a separate household. If the household passes the gross income test, then the net income test is computed. Net income is computed by deducting the following, if applicable, from gross income. The resultant amount cannot exceed 100% of the FPL.

  • Earned income has an allowable deduction of 20% (i.e., 80% of the gross earned income counts in the calculation of benefit levels). Examples of earned income include wages and salaries, striker's benefits, etc.
  • Standard Deduction – A deduction allowed per household per month. $134 for households of 1 – 3 persons, $143 for 4 persons, $167 for 5 persons, and $191 for 6 or more persons (effective 10/1/07).
  • Excess Shelter – A monthly shelter cost in excess of 50% of the household's income after all above deductions are considered. The excess shelter deduction must not exceed the current maximum of $431 (effective 10/1/07).
  • Homeless Household Shelter – Available to homeless persons who are not receiving free shelter for the entire month. If the homeless shelter allowance is used, separate utility costs are not allowed because the homeless shelter allowance includes a utility component. The current allowance is $143.
  • Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) – Allowed for a household that incurs utility costs, which are separate and apart from the household's rent/mortgage payment. The current allowance is $274 (effective 10/1/07).
  • Limited Utility Allowance (LUA) – Allowed for a household that incurs expenses for at least two separate utilities other than heating and cooling are eligible for a LUA.. The LUA allowance is $79 (effective 10/1/07).
  • Telephone Utility Allowance (TUA) - A household that is not eligible for the SUA or LUA but incurs a telephone expense or in its absence an equivalent form of communication, is eligible to receive a telephone deduction. The TUA allowance is unchanged and remains $20 (effective 11/01/06).
  • Dependent Care – The actual cost, not exceeding the maximum dependent care deduction, for care of a child or other dependent. Up to $200 per month for the cost of dependent care for a child, under 2 years of age and up to $175 per month for each other dependent can be deducted.
  • Medical Deduction – The portion of medical expenses, excluding special diets, in excess of the allowable amount of $35 per household per month (incurred by any household member who is elderly or disabled).

Exempt Income

  • In-Kind Benefits – Any gain or benefit that is not in the form of money (i.e., meals, clothing, housing provided by the employer, etc.)
  • Vendor Payments – Money paid to a third party for a household expense by a person or organization outside of the household.
  • Deferred Educational Loans
  • Grants and Scholarships
  • Cash donations from a charitable organization of not more than $300 in a calendar quarter
  • Income received too infrequently/irregularly to be reasonably anticipated but not more than $30 in a quarter.

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Reporting Changes

Food Stamp recipients must notify their local County Welfare Department about changes in their income or other circumstances. Such changes may affect their eligibility for benefits. There are two kinds of reporting: Change and Quarterly, which are described below:

Change Reporting

Change reporting households are those in which household members are seasonal and/or migrant farm workers, elderly, disabled or homeless.

  • These households are required to report within 10 days from the date of a change in writing, verbally or in person.
  • Changes required to be reported are:
    • the source and amount of gross income of more than $25, addition or loss of a household member, address changes and shelter costs, when cash on hand, stocks, bonds, money in a bank account or savings reach a total of $2,000 ($3,000 for elderly and disabled households), a change in child support payments made to a non household member.

Quarterly Reporting

Quarterly Reporting (QR) households are required to report every 3 months on the QR 7 form.

  • The form asks the household to report income, medical and child care expenses and any change that the household is expecting to change in the next 3 months (next QR quarter).
  • In-between reporting changes on the QR 7, during the quarter, the QR households are required to report changes of address.
  • Households may report , during the quarter, any change that could increase benefits; such as, a job loss or increased shelter expenses.
  • Benefits cannot be decreased mid-quarter unless: the county has to impose a sanction/financial penalty, an individual is approved for benefits in another household or, incorrect information has been reported by the household.

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Resources

A resource is something the household can draw upon or sell for financial assistance. Resource limits are $2,000 for all households except those that have a member who has a disability or who is 60 years of age or older. These households can have up to $3,000 in resources. Any countable resource will be added to the household's resource limit when making an eligibility determination. Types of Resources

  • Liquid Resources – Includes all funds readily available to the household such as cash on hand, money in checking or savings accounts, savings certificates, trust deeds, notes receivable, stocks, or bonds, non-recurring lump sum payments (which includes retroactive payments, funds held in an individual retirement accounts (IRA) and funds held in accessible Keogh plans).
  • Non-Liquid Resources – Includes personal property, buildings, land, recreational properties, and any other property. The value of non-exempt resources shall be its equity value, which is the fair market value less encumbrances.
  • Excluded Resources – Resources which are excluded are the home and surrounding property, vehicles, household goods, personal effects, resources with an equity value of $1500 or less (excluding financial instruments), and resources with a cash value that is not accessible to the household (such as irrevocable trust funds, security deposits on rental property, etc.)

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Work Requirements

All able-bodied persons (ages 18-49) without dependents must work 20 hours per week (monthly average 80 hours) or participate 20 hours per week in an approved work activity or do workfare, or else get only 3 months of Food Stamps out of a 36-month period. There are some exceptions so contact your local County Welfare Department to find out if you are eligible.

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Fingerprint Imaging

All applicants for and recipients of aid under the Food Stamp Program, other than dependent children and persons physically unable to provide the necessary images, will be required to provide two fingerprint images and a photo image as a condition of issuance. This includes:

  • Each adult household member who is eligible for Food Stamps, shall fulfill SFIS requirements prior to the issuance of Food Stamp benefits to that household;
  • The fingerprint images of the head of household parent and/or caretaker relative of an aided or applicant child when living in the home of the child; and
  • If a household member is under the age of 18 and applies for Food Stamps as a separate household, that household member will be required to comply with SFIS requirements.

Expedited service must be issued to a household even if it is not possible to complete the SFIS process in time. However, SFIS compliance should occur prior to the issuance of the household's next allotment. Exemptions

  • If a household member has a medically verified permanent physical condition that would make him/her unable to comply with SFIS requirements.
  • Counties will determine who is physically unable to comply with the SFIS requirements. Counties will have to reevaluate individuals with a temporary exemption within sixty days.
  • A household member under the age of 18 is exempt, unless he/she is applying for Food Stamps as his/her own household.
  • The County Welfare Department (CWD) shall decide when a household member will receive a postponement from the SFIS process. However, the CWD cannot require a household to make a special trip into the office specifically for the fingerprint imaging process.
  • Authorized representatives are not required to comply with SFIS requirements, unless no one in the household, which they represent, is required or able to comply with SFIS requirements.
  • A household member is allowed to receive temporary benefits when he/she is unable to complete the fingerprint imaging process due to a SFIS equipment problem.

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