SNAP (food stamps) is a federal food assistance program that is administered by each individual state. The most basic rules and regulations for food stamp eligibility are the same no matter which state you live in. Because of the uniform eligibility regulations, there is one central place where you can find out if you qualify for food stamps, and you can do it online in the comfort of your own home.
Follow the link to the food stamp eligibility pre-screening tool if you would like to know if you and your family qualify for SNAP benefits.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Iowa DHS Neglects to ask Food Stamp Applicants If They are Inmates
According to the Des Moines Register, The Iowa Department of Human Services neglects to ask Iowa food-stamp recipients whether they are prisoners, parolees or fugitives. According to state officials, Iowa DHS also doesn't check the names of prisoners against all food-stamp beneficiaries.
Federal regulations prohibit people who have been jailed for 30 days or more from collecting food-stamp benefits while incarcerated. But state investigators recently found that 30 percent of the inmates in the Polk County Jail last spring were illegally collecting Iowa food-stamp benefits.
Iowa's food-stamp program, which is administered by the state's Department of Human Services, does not routinely check on recipients' compliance with those restrictions.
The state's written application for food stamps - unlike applications used in many other states - doesn't ask whether the applicants are bound for jail, wanted by the law, on parole or on probation.
If those questions were asked and the applicants answered them falsely to obtain benefits, they could be charged with fraud. Because the applicants aren't asked those question, investigators can't pursue a criminal charge of fraud. They can only end the benefits.
In Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Texas and other states, applicants are asked whether any member of their household is a fugitive or in violation of parole or probation. In Colorado and North Dakota, applicants must also state whether any member of the household is "going to jail" or is violating parole or probation.
Roger Munns, spokesman for the Department of Human Services, said Thursday it may not be possible for Iowa to create an application form that deals with all aspects of eligibility.
"You couldn't create an application - or if you did, it would be unwieldy - that would include all of your variables," he said. "I don't know about the other states."
On Friday, Munns said the department's application for food assistance doesn't ask about jail or pending criminal cases "because the issue has not been brought to our attention as a problem prior to your question."
"The DHS will ask the Department of Inspections and Appeals for a report on what their investigators have found in regard to people applying for food stamps while knowing they will be ineligible because of a pending jail sentence, and we'll then discuss whether to add a question to the application."
Iowa's food-stamp recipients must periodically renew their eligibility and report any changes in their household status - which would include someone going to jail. But the renewals take place every six months. As a result, inmates can collect up to six months of benefits before the household-status question is ever posed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which pays for the food-stamp program, says 22 states now have fraud-deterrence programs that routinely match the names of prisoners with food-stamp recipients.
When asked whether Iowa is one of those 22 states, the Department of Agriculture's public affairs director, Jean Daniel, said only that the Web information is based on a 2002 report and that Iowa officials told the federal agency just last week they are matching food-stamp recipients to federal and state prisoner databases.
However, DHS officials said they are only cross-checking prisoner data with the names of people receiving Medicaid or IowaCare assistance. Any names that appear on both of those lists are then cross-checked with the agency's list of food-stamp recipients.
The human services department now says it is "exploring the possibility" of periodically cross-checking inmates with food-stamp recipients, but that most Medicaid recipients also collect food stamps.
The Department of Inspections and Appeals' investigation at the Polk County Jail showed that of the 519 inmates who passed though the facility in March 2009, 30 percent - a total of 157 individuals - were improperly collecting food-stamp benefits. The payments were halted, saving the state an estimated $200,000.
The inspections department also looked at long-term inmates in the Linn County Jail and found that over the past eight months, there were 59 inmates who collected food-stamp benefits while incarcerated for at least 30 days. The state saved $76,716 by stopping the payments.
"Obviously, we've identified something that needs to be looked at here," investigator Kathy Dolan said. "As manpower permits, we'd like to look at every county."
Last year, 307,000 Iowans collected $455 million in food-stamp benefits. The average monthly benefit was $123.44.
Federal regulations prohibit people who have been jailed for 30 days or more from collecting food-stamp benefits while incarcerated. But state investigators recently found that 30 percent of the inmates in the Polk County Jail last spring were illegally collecting Iowa food-stamp benefits.
Iowa's food-stamp program, which is administered by the state's Department of Human Services, does not routinely check on recipients' compliance with those restrictions.
The state's written application for food stamps - unlike applications used in many other states - doesn't ask whether the applicants are bound for jail, wanted by the law, on parole or on probation.
If those questions were asked and the applicants answered them falsely to obtain benefits, they could be charged with fraud. Because the applicants aren't asked those question, investigators can't pursue a criminal charge of fraud. They can only end the benefits.
In Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Texas and other states, applicants are asked whether any member of their household is a fugitive or in violation of parole or probation. In Colorado and North Dakota, applicants must also state whether any member of the household is "going to jail" or is violating parole or probation.
Roger Munns, spokesman for the Department of Human Services, said Thursday it may not be possible for Iowa to create an application form that deals with all aspects of eligibility.
"You couldn't create an application - or if you did, it would be unwieldy - that would include all of your variables," he said. "I don't know about the other states."
On Friday, Munns said the department's application for food assistance doesn't ask about jail or pending criminal cases "because the issue has not been brought to our attention as a problem prior to your question."
"The DHS will ask the Department of Inspections and Appeals for a report on what their investigators have found in regard to people applying for food stamps while knowing they will be ineligible because of a pending jail sentence, and we'll then discuss whether to add a question to the application."
Iowa's food-stamp recipients must periodically renew their eligibility and report any changes in their household status - which would include someone going to jail. But the renewals take place every six months. As a result, inmates can collect up to six months of benefits before the household-status question is ever posed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which pays for the food-stamp program, says 22 states now have fraud-deterrence programs that routinely match the names of prisoners with food-stamp recipients.
When asked whether Iowa is one of those 22 states, the Department of Agriculture's public affairs director, Jean Daniel, said only that the Web information is based on a 2002 report and that Iowa officials told the federal agency just last week they are matching food-stamp recipients to federal and state prisoner databases.
However, DHS officials said they are only cross-checking prisoner data with the names of people receiving Medicaid or IowaCare assistance. Any names that appear on both of those lists are then cross-checked with the agency's list of food-stamp recipients.
The human services department now says it is "exploring the possibility" of periodically cross-checking inmates with food-stamp recipients, but that most Medicaid recipients also collect food stamps.
The Department of Inspections and Appeals' investigation at the Polk County Jail showed that of the 519 inmates who passed though the facility in March 2009, 30 percent - a total of 157 individuals - were improperly collecting food-stamp benefits. The payments were halted, saving the state an estimated $200,000.
The inspections department also looked at long-term inmates in the Linn County Jail and found that over the past eight months, there were 59 inmates who collected food-stamp benefits while incarcerated for at least 30 days. The state saved $76,716 by stopping the payments.
"Obviously, we've identified something that needs to be looked at here," investigator Kathy Dolan said. "As manpower permits, we'd like to look at every county."
Last year, 307,000 Iowans collected $455 million in food-stamp benefits. The average monthly benefit was $123.44.
Indiana Food Stamps Boosted by Stimulus Aid
According to an article in Businessweek.com, The Indiana Food Stamp Program (Indiana SNAP) was positively impacted by Stimulus money.
More than 780,000 people currently receive food stamps in Indiana, according to November figures. That figure was 18 percent more than the same month a year earlier.
USDA says Indiana also received more than $4 million in stimulus funding for food banks, soup kitchens and school meals.
Food stamp officials say federal stimulus funds have delivered almost $169 million to Indiana in food benefits and support services over the past 10 months.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently announced dollar figures for additional food stamp aid in Indiana since the stimulus plan was approved a year ago.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently announced dollar figures for additional food stamp aid in Indiana since the stimulus plan was approved a year ago.
It reflects the stimulus funding provided additional food stamps to needy recipients. For a family of four, the extra food stamps amounted to $80 per month.
More than 780,000 people currently receive food stamps in Indiana, according to November figures. That figure was 18 percent more than the same month a year earlier.
USDA says Indiana also received more than $4 million in stimulus funding for food banks, soup kitchens and school meals.
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