Former Food Critic Learns To Eat on A Food Stamp Budget
Former Food Critic Learns To Eat on A Food Stamp Budget
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Former Food Critic Learns To Eat on A Food Stamp Budget
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Post #1 - June 6th, 2010, 8:40 amhttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/p ... cmpid=2628
Interesting article.
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Post #2 - June 6th, 2010, 12:49 pmThis is the same guy who wrote the tamale song mentioned in the Food Music thread.
My first thought was that he's lucky to live in a state that gives food stamps to a single guy. In Illinois, you pretty much have to have young children.
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Post #3 - June 7th, 2010, 5:20 amLAZ wrote:My first thought was that he's lucky to live in a state that gives food stamps to a single guy. In Illinois, you pretty much have to have young children.
Is this a new fact? If so, I'd love to see some numbers. I lived on food stamps for part of my term as an Americorps*VISTA, and I was a single person with no children, but this was circa 2004. At the time, I lived and worked in a community with a lot of people with incomes at or below the poverty level and receiving food stamps. Because of the work I was doing, I knew a lot of families with young children who happened also to be food stamps recipients, but I never got the sense from Human Services that the overwhelming majority of recipients were these families.
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Post #4 - June 7th, 2010, 6:54 amIt's possible LAZ meant TANF, not SNAP - TANF (commonly known as welfare) is available only to families (the acronym is Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) SNAP (commonly known as food stamps) is available to anyone, but you have to qualify (although, interestingly, strikers are not eligible for foodstamps.) WIC is another food program, easier to qualify for, but available only to families with very young children.
Another possibility is that she meant that without the deductions for a family, it's difficult to qualify for foodstamps; if you play with the income/eligibility calculator, you'll see you need to have a gross income of less than $200/month to qualify for full benefits (benefits that might be worth bothering about for single persons start at about $900/month.) If you're single, working full-time for minimum wage, you don't qualify - even 20 hours/wk earns you too much. (You'd have to work for less than 7 hours a week at minimum wage to gross about $200/mo.) I didn't figure in housing - your housing situation has a bearing on your eligibility as well.Last edited by Mhays on June 7th, 2010, 1:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #5 - June 7th, 2010, 10:38 amI can tell you from personal recent experience that, married or single, you will not qualify for food stamps if you do not have minor children living in the house with you."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #6 - June 7th, 2010, 12:14 pmMhays wrote:It's possible LAZ meant TANF, not SNAP - TANF (commonly known as welfare) is available only to families (the acronym is Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) SNAP (commonly known as food stamps) is available to anyone, but you have to qualify (although, interestingly, strikers are not eligible for foodstamps.) WIC is another food program, easier to qualify for, but available only to families with very young children.
Another possibility is that she meant that without the deductions for a family, it's difficult to qualify for foodstamps; if you play with the income/eligibility calculator, you'll see you need to have a gross income of less than $200/month to qualify for full benefits (benefits that might be worth bothering about for single persons start at about $900/month.) If you're single, working full-time for minimum wage, you don't qualify - even 20 hours/wk earns you too much. (You'd have to work for less than 7 hours a week at minimum wage to gross $900/mo.) I didn't figure in housing - your housing situation has a bearing on your eligibility as well.
Federal minimum wage since 2009 is $7.25/ hr which would require 124 hours to meet a $900 monthly income or roughly 30 hours per week,
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Post #7 - June 7th, 2010, 1:56 pmKatie wrote:I can tell you from personal recent experience that, married or single, you will not qualify for food stamps if you do not have minor children living in the house with you.
I have not talked to the state, but based on everyone else I have talked to, this appears to be the case. You might also qualify if you're blind.
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Post #8 - June 7th, 2010, 1:58 pmSorry, I corrected above, I meant the minimum of $200 for full benefits...the minimum wage for IL is $8, until July where it goes up to $8.25.
I sent an email directly to DHS to ask about whether or not there is a specific restriction for persons without minor children (I tried calling their hotline, but they suggest calling between 8-9am and it was too late.)
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Post #9 - June 7th, 2010, 2:09 pmLAZ wrote:Katie wrote:I can tell you from personal recent experience that, married or single, you will not qualify for food stamps if you do not have minor children living in the house with you.
I have not talked to the state, but based on everyone else I have talked to, this appears to be the case. You might also qualify if you're blind.
Yes, that's right - blind, disabled, or having dependent children living with you."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #10 - June 7th, 2010, 2:11 pmLAZ wrote:Katie wrote:I can tell you from personal recent experience that, married or single, you will not qualify for food stamps if you do not have minor children living in the house with you.
I have not talked to the state, but based on everyone else I have talked to, this appears to be the case. You might also qualify if you're blind.
Yes, that's right - you have to be blind or disabled or have dependent children living with you."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #11 - June 7th, 2010, 3:34 pmKatie wrote:LAZ wrote:Katie wrote:I can tell you from personal recent experience that, married or single, you will not qualify for food stamps if you do not have minor children living in the house with you.
I have not talked to the state, but based on everyone else I have talked to, this appears to be the case. You might also qualify if you're blind.
Yes, that's right - you have to be blind or disabled or have dependent children living with you.
So then you are talking about TANF? or SNAP?
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Post #12 - June 7th, 2010, 6:32 pmSNAP, I guess."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #13 - June 9th, 2010, 8:43 amI know someone who does not have children and gets SNAP benefits, and has for a while. Eligibility is not based on whether you have dependents, but if you do, that adds another person to your household, and bumps up the minimum allowable income for you.
Edit: My friend is not blind or disabled at all, and even has a college degree and a job.Logan: Come on, everybody, wang chung tonight! What? Everybody, wang chung tonight! Wang chung, or I'll kick your ass!
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Post #14 - June 9th, 2010, 5:27 pmWell, I wish we'd been as fortunate as your friend, but we were turned down, with a combined income well under the supposed qualifying limit, and those were the things we were told kept us from qualifying. We know people too who get SNAP benefits and health care benefits even though their "dependent" children are over 18 now and getting benefits themselves, although they don't have dependent children either, and neither the parents nor the adult children of whom I speak are blind or disabled ... who knows why. Perhaps it's easier to stay in a system once you're in it than to get into it. All's I know is we were told we wouldn't qualify for food or medical aid because we weren't blind, weren't disabled, and had no dependent children living with us. And not just told - those were the things ticked off in the letters that came in the mail saying why our applications had been rejected. YMMV."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #15 - June 11th, 2010, 11:53 amWell, I got this not-terribly-useful reply from the state; I sent them a request to update their weblink to one that works and for more specific information on the number of people in the household - however, if you include all assets and the cost of rent and utilities, I can see where it might be even more difficult for single people to qualify:The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp Program, is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Eligibility for this program is determined by the number of people in the household, total gross income and assets in the household, and the cost of rent and utilities each month. For information about SNAP, go to www.fns.usda.gov/fsp
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Post #16 - June 11th, 2010, 12:34 pmThe correct link is http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/
Eligibility is explained here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_ ... bility.htm
The top of the page has a calculator. If you live in IL, you can use this one: http://www.dhs.state.il.us:8080/FSCalc/ ... do?lang=en
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Post #17 - June 11th, 2010, 2:12 pmRight - although I'm guessing that the link explained the specific question that was asked, which isn't really answered on the SNAP eligibility page.
I had asked "Are SNAP benefits available to a single-person or two-person household without dependent children who otherwise meet all the qualifications?"
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Post #18 - June 11th, 2010, 2:15 pmMhays wrote:Right - although I'm guessing that the link explained the specific question that was asked, which isn't really answered on the SNAP eligibility page.
I had asked "Are SNAP benefits available to a single-person or two-person household without dependent children who otherwise meet all the qualifications?"
The snap eligibility page includes income limits for a household size of "1". I think that answers the question....defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
Fuckerberg on Food
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Post #19 - June 11th, 2010, 2:17 pmI would guess that like with all government aid programs there are loopholes, exemptions, odd formulas, quotas, etc. that makes it so there isnt one cut and dry formula that would apply to everyone.
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Post #20 - June 11th, 2010, 3:09 pmKennyz wrote:Mhays wrote:Right - although I'm guessing that the link explained the specific question that was asked, which isn't really answered on the SNAP eligibility page.
I had asked "Are SNAP benefits available to a single-person or two-person household without dependent children who otherwise meet all the qualifications?"
The snap eligibility page includes income limits for a household size of "1". I think that answers the question.
That is also the case on the IL page, and yet we have two individuals who say that they were told the opposite by a caseworker. I'd like to know whether or not the "1" is purely theoretical or if there is actually a way to qualify for those benefits. I've also found that it's not unheard of for a harried caseworker to deny an eligible person their benefits, or (even more likely) to offer an incorrect explanation of why benefits were denied - especially in Cook county.
While I don't need SNAP benefits, they are my tax dollars being spent to feed people in need.
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Post #21 - June 11th, 2010, 3:15 pmI'm not going to try to speculate about what an individual applicant says he or she heard or read from an individual government employee or letter. I have no doubt that all kinds of things go wrong in situations like that every day....defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
Fuckerberg on Food
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Post #22 - June 25th, 2010, 12:29 pmI personally know 2 separate cases of single person, no kids, no blindness, no disability, food stamp recipients.I love animals...they're delicious!
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Post #23 - July 2nd, 2010, 9:55 amThe Greater Chicago Food Depository recently announced on its FB page that they will be helping the State with processing applications for SNAP. I took the opportunity to ask the question mentioned above, and was given the following answer:Greater Chicago Food Depository wrote:SNAP benefits are available to adults without children who meet the eligibility requirements. Here’s a link to the eligibility calculator: http://www.dhs.state.il.us:8080/FSCalc/ ... do?lang=en. If there are further questions, please call us at 773-247-3663.
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Post #24 - July 2nd, 2010, 11:27 amFor a two-person household with no children and no other qualifying hardships (blind, disabled, providing medical care for someone over 60 yrs old, etc.), the monthly income limit is $1,579. At least that's what the online calculator told me."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #25 - July 2nd, 2010, 12:36 pmRight - but (I assume you know this already, but for those who don't) income isn't the sole determinant in foodstamp benefits. Housing, savings, etc. also play a role - that column labeled "assets" can effectively exclude many people who are recently down on their luck. Here is an interesting article regarding asset limits and public aid programs.
I'm still waiting to hear specifics from the DHS, and will report back when I do.
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Post #26 - July 26th, 2010, 3:31 pmRecently, I received a response form from Governor Quinn's office, basically asking if I had any questions or concerns about the State of IL (I assume everyone who has ever sent anything to the governor got one) Remembering this discussion, I again asked about the issue of single persons receiving SNAP benefits. I got this very nice response from Health and Human Services by mail:Dear MHays:
Your recent inquiry to Governor Quinn regarding your eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits was forwarded to the Department of Human Services (DHS) for response. As Secretary of the DHS, I oversee the administration of the SNAP program for the State of Illinois.
You inquired about the eligibility rules for people applying for SNAP who have no minor children, and you also seemed concerned that applicants are not being offered a clear and accurate explanation of why they do not qualify for benefits. You are correct that SNAP regulations are defined by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, oversees the SNAP program for all states. However, there are no federal regulations or Illinois state policies that require minor children to be in the home for an adult to be eligible for SNAP benefits.
Every application is addressed formally regarding eligibility. While we have an online SNAP calculator available for customers to get an idea of their benefits, it provides only an estimate of eligibility. A formal application process is still necessary. All SNAP applicants are provided with a written notice telling them if their application was approved or denied. If their application is denied, the notice gives a concise and clear explanation of the reason, along with a policy manual citation. The policy manual is available online at http://www.dhs.state.il.us.
I hope this information helps to clarify your understanding of SNAP policy. Thank you for taking the time to write and allowing me the opportunity to address your concerns.
Sincerely,
Michelle R.B. Saddler
Secretary
(Misspellings or bad English that I might have missed are the result of OCR translation and not part of the original letter.)
I have met Ms. Saddler once or twice, and have a fair amount of faith in her as the DHS Secretary. I'd suggest that anyone who did not receive the service as she stated above ask to speak to someone in DHS in Springfield.
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Post #27 - July 26th, 2010, 7:30 pm...there are no federal regulations or Illinois state policies that require minor children to be in the home for an adult to be eligible for SNAP benefits.
Mhays, I applaud you for pursuing this, but I don't think the answer you got is responsive to the question you asked - or at least, it's not responsive to the real question. My understanding is that for able-bodied adults, married or single, there definitely do need to be dependents - i.e., minors or disabled adults for whom you are the primary provider of financial support. Whether or not they live in the home with you is not the issue. They must be financially dependent on you. Failing being the primary source of financial support for one or more dependent children, you must have others falling in certain categories (blind, disabled) financially dependent on you, or you must be in one of those categories (a minor, blind, or disabled) yourself.
As far as I can tell, neither a single person nor a married couple without minor or disabled dependents will get approved for SNAP benefits, and I don't see anything in the letter from HHS that contradicts this."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
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Post #28 - July 26th, 2010, 8:40 pmKatie, from everything I have heard or read everywhere on SNAP, I don't see this being the case. Since Ms. Saddler confirmed that the policy falls under Federal legislation, means that the two single people I know of (out of state) who are receiving benefits - who have never had children - show that it's not an issue of having dependents. There are a lot of factors, but multiple sources say that isn't the sole determining factor.
However, if someone was denied benefits and did not receive an explanation citing the specific policy explaining why they were denied, they should pursue that with DHS: that means the department where they recieved service is not following procedure, and it's a serious problem, especially in these difficult economic times. Although it's possible that it's a mistake or misunderstanding, it wouldn't be the first time in IL State history that someone wasn't doing their job correctly.
If someone has the offered explanation of denial of benefits that specifies dependents are the issue, I'd like to see the policy they were cited - I think it's important.
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Post #29 - July 27th, 2010, 7:20 amMy own knowledge of the program, MHays and others' research here, and the programs' website are all pretty clear: you do not have to have children to receive food stamps.
Here is a link to the most recent annual report for the SNAP program: http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/MENU/Publis ... istics.pdf
Turn to Table 3.3 on page 17. You will see that 15.8 percent of households that receive food stamps are single people who are neither elderly, disabled, nor have dependent children. Those groups are listed separately on the table. About 90 percent of these single-person households have no earned income.
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Post #30 - July 27th, 2010, 9:48 amI guess I should have gone back to reread my previous post before replying.For a two-person household with no children and no other qualifying hardships (blind, disabled, providing medical care for someone over 60 yrs old, etc.), the monthly income limit is $1,579. At least that's what the online calculator told me."Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
