Public Employee Press

Food Stamp eligibility expands

Amid all the bad economic news, one piece of good news stands out: changes to the Food Stamp Program will help more low-income families put food on the table.

Food Stamp eligibility for families with expenses has expanded. Under changes made by Congress and state regulators, higher income guidelines mean that more families with child care or elder care expenses are now eligible for food stamps.

Families — including some union families — may qualify, even if they were denied in the past.

The income eligibility for food stamps for families with dependent care expenses has increased to 200 percent of the federal poverty level from 130 percent.

For example, a family of three with earned income of $31,680 (180 percent of the poverty level) and paying over $446 a month for shelter and $400 a month for child care would not be eligible for Food Stamps without this change. Now this family can receive $126 a month in Food Stamp benefits, which is equivalent to the cash value of a 4.7 percent pay raise for someone at that income level.

“This is federal money that will be left on the table if people don’t apply,” said Moira Dolan, assistant director of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept.

Families of four earning up to $44,100 may now be eligible, but because rent and other variable factors figure in determining eligibility, people who think they may be eligible should apply, she said.

For more information about the new income guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions, visit the special programs child-care page at www.dc37.net.