Food Stamp Program

Food Stamps and Eligibility

Who is eligible to receive Food Stamps?
Most of your clients are eligible to receive food stamps if they are:

• Homeless
• Unemployed
• Elderly
• Disabled
• Working for low wages
• Receiving public assistance (welfare) payments
• Receiving disability assistance
• Retired on Social Security

What information must be provided to verify eligibility?
At the time of application, the food stamp office provides a list of information needed to determine whether or not your client is eligible. If your client has the information, they must provide it to the food stamp office. Your client cannot be denied if they are unable to provide the information, as long as they cooperate with the food stamp office in trying to obtain it. Your clients may be denied if they refuse to provide the food stamp office with the correct information necessary to help the office verify eligibility.

Although your clients do not have to prove they are homeless, food stamp caseworkers may request verification of a client’s living situation if questionable.

Your client should not give his/her only copy of any document to the food stamp office. If they only have the original document, they should ask the interviewer to make two copies of the paperwork, one copy for their food stamp application and another date stamped copy for them. This should be done in case, at a hearing, your client needs to prove that the information was submitted to the food stamp office.

What if my client does not have a fixed mailing address?
The food stamp office cannot deny your clients access to benefits if they are eligible but do not have a fixed mailing address.

States are also required by Federal law to assist people who do not reside in a permanent dwelling or have a fixed mailing address in obtaining their regular monthly benefits. Assistance from the food stamp office may mean allowing your clients to pick up their benefits at the office or helping them find an authorized representative to collect the stamps on their behalf (in States that have not yet fully implemented EBT).

What is the homeless shelter deduction?
Federal regulations authorize each state to offer a standard shelter deduction, to be applied to clients who are homeless, to account for shelter expenses in the past month. As of October 1, 2002, the deduction was fixed at $143. The deduction is designed to account for any money a person who is homeless would use toward shelter (i.e. a hotel room or SRO) that would not be a fixed monthly expense such as rent. This deduction accounts for expenses that people who are homeless have difficulty documenting and allows for a larger food stamp allotment in most cases. At present, only thirteen states offer the deduction. To determine if your client is eligible, you need to determine how much income your client has and what they own.

Must my client have a place to prepare food to qualify for Food Stamps?
No. Your clients applying for food stamps are not required to have food preparation or cooking facilities. This regulation is particularly helpful for homeless recipients. Your clients that live in their car, on the street, or in a homeless shelter can still get benefits even if the shelter provides some meals to the client.

Can my client be disqualified from the Food Stamp Program?
Yes. The food stamp office may disqualify your clients from receiving food stamps if they have intentionally:

• Made false or misleading statements
• Misrepresented, concealed, or withheld facts
• Violated conditions of food stamp eligibility

It is important to note that your client cannot be disqualified for mistakenly reporting incorrect facts. The penalty for the first intentional misrepresentation or violation is disqualification from the program for one year.

If your client reapplies after their one-year disqualification and intentionally misrepresents their situation or intentionally violates the program requirements again, the length of the disqualification period will increase. A disqualification notice will be sent to your client. Upon receipt of the disqualification notice, your client has the right to request a fair hearing.