Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
Under the Food Stamp Act and USDA policy, discrimination is prohibited also on the basis of religion or political beliefs.

To file a complaint of discrimination, contact USDA or HHS. Write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY).
Write HHS, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 506-F, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201 or
call (202) 619-0403 (voice) or (202) 619-3257 (TTY). USDA and HHS are equal opportunity providers and employers.

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Who can qualify for Food Stamps?

The Food Stamp Program provides monthly benefits that help low income households buy the food they need for good health. Eligibility criteria, income and resource limits and allotment maximums per household size are set by federal laws and regulations governing the Food Stamps Program under USDA. A person who meets one of the following criteria may qualify for food stamps:

Work for low wages.

Unemployed or work part-time.

Receive TANF, SSI or other assistance payments.

Elderly or disabled and live on a small income.

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How do I apply for Food Stamps?

The Application Process:

• You may request an application for food stamps by phone, in person, by fax, or by mail from your county office.
• Applications for food stamp benefits are available online.
• One adult household member or authorized representative must sign the application for food stamp benefits under penalty of perjury.
• Complete as much of your application as you can. Your name, address and signature are necessary on the application to be accepted by the local food stamp office. The application will be accepted on the same day it is turned in, even if there is no interview on that day.
• When your application has been turned in, the local county office will setup an interview to go over your application. There is a list of documents you will need to bring to your interview. (See below.)
• As soon as all necessary information is provided and verified for eligibility, you will be able to receive your food stamp benefits within 30 days of your dated application.

Documents to Bring to Interview

At the time of your interview, please bring verification of your income and expenses. If you cannot get all the information together by your interview date, come for the interview because you will have additional time to provide this information. If you need assistance in obtaining this information, please discuss this with your food stamp worker at the time of the interview. The following are examples of what to bring:

• Proof of identity (driver's license, etc.), alien status.
• Social Security Numbers for all household members.
• If employed, proof of income (wage stubs, earning statements, etc.) for the previous month or last filed tax return if self-employed.
• Bank statements for checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, credit union accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, etc.
• Proof of shelter costs (rent or mortgage payment, lot rent, taxes, utility bills - heat, electricity, water/sewage/garbage, telephone, etc.)

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Child Support Requirements

The custodial parent in a household that includes a child under age 18, who has an absent parent, must cooperate with child support enforcement requirements to establish paternity and/or obtain support. Custodial parents and absent parents who fail to cooperate with child support enforcement will be disqualified for food stamp participation until compliance.

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Finding out whether you qualify

After the interview and collection of needed information for eligibility determination, the worker will send the client a notice. If the client does not qualify for food stamps, the notice will explain why. If the client qualifies for food stamps, the notice shows the monthly allotment and length of the certification period.

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Reporting changes in household circumstances

1. Simplified reporting households, in which all members are not elderly or disabled, must only report when the household income meets or exceeds the current income level for the household size. The change must be reported by the tenth (10th) of the month following the month in which the change occurred. The current income level may be found on the back of the notice mailed to the client or by contacting the local county office.
OR

2. Change reporting households, in which all members are elederly or receiving disability, must report the following by the tenth of the month following the month in which the change occurred:
   • change in the number of people living in the household,
   • change in the source of income and/or the amount of the income if more than $50 per month,
   • change in address and resulting shelter costs,
   • change in resources when the amount reaches or exceeds $3000.

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Penalties

If disqualified for the intentional violation of Program rules, the first time will be for one year; the second time will be two years; and the third time will be permanent. The responsible person may also be prosecuted in court and fined and/or jailed in addition to repayment of any over-issuance amount.

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