Atlanta Food Stamp Crisis - GA SNAP Program Cuts Benefits for Hundreds of Eligible Participants

Hundreds of low income families are without Georgia food stamps and other federal benefits in Cobb, Douglas and Cherokee counties because an increased demand for assistance has created a backlog of paperwork, the Georgia Department of Human Services said Thursday, October 13, 2011.

Hundreds of recipients lined up to DFACS offices after learning that their EBT Cards would notbe replenished with their Georgia SNAP Benefits.

According to DFACS:

"Due to the current economic situation we have experienced tremendous growth in those participating in the food stamp program which has impacted monthly benefit renewals and has increased the workload of DFCS staff," said Ravae Graham, a deputy director with the state Department of Human Services.

Apparently, Cobb County, Cherokee County, and Douglas County received more than 5,000 food stamp reviews in the month of September, and DFACS could not handle the workload.

DFACS will not answer phones, and no one is getting any answers about when their benefits will resume.

Instead, DFACS is giving out lists of local food banks, and they have stated that they are working in conjunction with the food banks.

However, some recipients claim that they have contacted every food bank on the list and they were told that they cannot help because there isn't enough food to go around.

If you have been affected by this crisis, please check out this list of Metro Atlanta Food Banks.

I hope it helps.

Easier to Qualify for New Jersey Food Stamps

In the midst of these tough economic times, certain states like Kansas have actually made it harder for people to get food stamps.

The state of New Jersey has gone in the complete opposite direction. Now, there is no requirement that for people to list their assets in order to apply for New Jersey food stamps.

The first step in applying for New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits (SNAP Benefits) is to check out the online eligibility tool to see if you may qualify.

You can apply for New Jersey SNAP benefits online by using the link provided.

Good Luck!

Online Food Stamp Pre-Screening Tool

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.

Minnesota Food Support Screening Tool for Senior Citizens

According to Minnesota Public Radio, more than half of the eligible elderly citizens do not take advantage of Minnesota Food Support (Minnesota Food Stamp Benefits).

The report shows that seniors are slow to sign up because many are unaware that they are eligible for the government aid program.

If you are a senior citizen, and you need help stretching your food dollars in this tough economy, you should contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services and apply for Minnesota Food Support.

A screening tool is provided for people over 60 to see if you are eligible for the food assistance before you actually apply. Click here to access the link.

No More Fingerprinting for California Food Stamps

According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, Governor Jerry Brown has ended the fingerprint requirement for CalFresh Benefits (California food stamps).

The Department of Social Services States that they spent around $14 million in money to have have Food Stamp applicants fingerprinted, but they claim to have saved $60 million in welfare fraud.

Questions about the effectiveness of the program to prevent food stamp fraud in particular were raised, so Governor Brown nixed the requirement.

Meanwhile, a report showed that only half of the people who are eligible for CalFresh were actually participating in the program. Elderly people in particular have been identified as being underserved. Therefore, an effort is underway to get all eligible elderly Californians enrolled into the program.

How to Apply for Arkansas Food Stamps

The Arkansas Department of Human Services is responsible for administering the Arkansas SNAP Benefits Program.

One of the first steps to apply for Arkansas food stamps, is to check out the online eligibility tool. If you enter the information they ask, the tool will give you an estimate of the type of benefits you will be able to receive.

The tool is called Access Arkansas, and once you determine if you qualify for the program, you will also be able to apply online.

Click here to begin the process.

Certain Arizona Residents Can Use Food Stamps at Restaurants

The state of Arizona is participating in a pilot program that will allow homeless people, the elderly, and disabled people to be able to use their SNAP benefits at participating area restaurants.

The program allows people who wouldn't other wise be able to cook for themselves to be able to eat a hot meal at a restaurant and use their Arizona Quest Card (EBT Card) to pay for their meals.

The program is proving to be a success and it could branch out all over the U.S. If the program is contained to its target demographic (homeless people, elderly people, and disabled people) the program should meet with public approval.

However, many food stamp recipients would like to see the program extended to all participants...currently, there is a huge uproarious debate about whether or not able bodied individuals should be able to use food stamps at restaurants.

There is no resolution to the situation at this point, we will have to wait to see how this plays out....

Alaska Food Stamps Eligibility

If you live in the state of Alaska, and you are thinking about applying for food stamps, the first thing you should do is check out the Alaska Food Stamp Eligibility tool.

The tool is online and if you feed it the requested data it will tell you whether or not you qualify for SNAP benefits in Alaska.

The tool asks the following questions:

• How many people live in your household?
• How much money does your household earn a month?
• How much do you pay for rent/mortgage?
• How much cash does your household have on hand?
• How much money do you pay for child care?
• How much money do you pay for child support?
• Once you feed it the information it asks for, it will calculate your household income and it will let you know if you qualify.
• If you qualify, you will need to go to your local Alaska Public Assistance office to apply.

If the tool tells you that you do not qualify, it is a good idea to go and apply anyway because the tool is not a human and a real person might be able to take other information into consideration.

Click here for the tool.

Good Luck!

How to Get Expedited Food Stamps

Expedited food stamps (SNAP benefits) is the name of a process where low income families are given food stamps within 7 days from the date of their application. Eligibility rules include the following:

• Your household’s income is less than $150 per month and your household’s assets are less than $100 (assets include cash that you have on hand and the money in your bank account).
• Your rent and utilities are more than your monthly income before deductions OR
• You are a migrant seasonal farm worker and your household’s cash and money in the bank is less than $100.

If none of these situations apply, you may receive Food Stamps within 30 days of the date you apply for government aid.

Unfortunately, during these tough economic times, many low income families and individuals will have no problem proving that their rent, utilities, and other expenses are more than the money they make.