**[Slide 1]{.underline}**

USDA

Food and Nutrition Service

[Food Stamp Program ]{.underline}

[Issues in Accessing Food Stamps]{.underline}

[Vicky Robinson]{.underline}

[January 27, 2004 ]{.underline}

**[Slide 2]{.underline}**

[Objectives]{.underline}

-   [To understand the history of the Food Stamp Program ]{.underline}

-   [To learn basic program eligibility]{.underline}

-   [To identify and begin to resolve the barriers that homeless
    families face]{.underline}

**[Slide 3]{.underline}**

[Program History]{.underline}

[The original Food Stamp Program (FSP) was designed: ]{.underline}

-   [To reduce hunger among the poor]{.underline}

-   [To reduce farm surpluses.]{.underline}

[The original FSP lasted about 4 years from May 16, 1939 to Spring of
1943 and served approximately 20 million people in nearly half of the
counties in the U.S.---peak participation was 4 million---at a total
cost of \$262 million.]{.underline}

*[Quote: \"We got a picture of a gorge, with farm surpluses on one cliff
and undernourished city folks with outstretched hands on the other. We
set out to find a practical way to build a bridge across that chasm.\"
(Milo Perkins, first Administrator of the FSP)]{.underline}*

**[Slide 4]{.underline}**

[Program History (continued)]{.underline}

[Pilot Food Stamp Program - May 29, 1961-1964]{.underline}

\
[In fulfillment of a campaign promise he made in West Virginia,
President Kennedy\'s first Executive Order called for expanded food
distribution and, on Feb. 2, 1961, he announced that food stamp pilot
programs would be initiated.]{.underline}

[By January 1964, the pilot programs had expanded from eight areas to 43
in 22 States with 380,000 participants. ]{.underline}

[Mr. and Mrs. Alderson Muncy of Paynesville, West Virginia, were the
first food stamp recipients on May 29, 1961. They purchased \$95 in food
stamps for their 15-person household. In the first food stamp
transaction, they bought a can of pork and beans at Henderson\'s
Supermarket. ]{.underline}

**[Slide 5]{.underline}**

[Program History (continued)]{.underline}

[Food Stamp Act of 1964 - August 31, 1964]{.underline}\
\
[In order to bring the pilot FSP under Congressional control and to
enact the regulations into law, President Johnson requested Congress to
pass legislation making the FSP permanent. Major provisions included
the: ]{.underline}

-   [Requirement that recipients purchase their food stamps and what
    they could purchase with stamps (no alcohol or imported foods)\* 
    ]{.underline}

-   [Prohibition against discrimination on bases of race, religious
    creed, national origin, or political beliefs ]{.underline}

-   [Division of responsibilities between States (certification and
    issuance) and the Federal Government (funding of benefits and
    authorization of retailers and wholesalers), with shared
    responsibility for funding costs of administration. ]{.underline}

[\*The House version would have prohibited the purchase of soft drinks,
luxury foods, and luxury frozen foods. ]{.underline}

**[Slide 6]{.underline}**

[Program History (continued)]{.underline}

[The Food Stamp Act of 1977]{.underline}\
\
[Major provisions included the:]{.underline}

-   [Elimination of the purchase requirement]{.underline}

-   [Establishment of statutory income eligibility guidelines at the
    poverty line]{.underline}

-   [Elimination of the requirement that households must have cooking
    facilities  ]{.underline}

-   [Recipients\' right to submit applications the first day they
    attempt to do so]{.underline}

-   [30-day processing standard and inception of the concept of
    expedited service (getting benefits fast---within 7
    days).]{.underline}

[The rallying cry for FSP reform was \"EPR"---Eliminate the Purchase
Requirement!---as it presented a barrier to program participation.
]{.underline}

**[Slide 7]{.underline}**

[Program History (continued)]{.underline}

[The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act
of 1996 (PRWORA)---]{.underline}

-   [Placed a time limit on food stamp receipt of three out of 36 months
    for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) who are not
    working at least 20 hours a week or participating in a work program
    ]{.underline}

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-   [Provided additional Employment and Training (E&T) funds targeted
    toward providing work program opportunities for ABAWDs ]{.underline}

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-   [Allowed States to exempt up to 15 percent of the estimated number
    of ABAWDs who would otherwise be ineligible. ]{.underline}

**[Slide 8]{.underline}**

[Program History (continued)]{.underline}

[The Farm Bill of 2002---Reauthorization of the FSP ]{.underline}

[Changes were made to simplify the FSP and to increase program access,
including:]{.underline}

-   [Simplified determination of housing costs---allows States to use a
    standard deduction from income of \$143 per month for homeless
    households with some shelter costs]{.underline}

-   [State option to reduce reporting requirements---allows States to
    extend semi-annual reporting to all households not exempt from
    periodic reporting]{.underline}

-   [State option to implement transitional food stamps---allows States
    to extend food stamps 3-5 months to eligible households that leave
    TANF]{.underline}

-   [Employment and training provision---authorizes \$90 million for E&T
    funding and up to \$20 million in additional funding for States that
    pledge to offer work slots to unemployed, childless adults who are
    subject to the 3-month time limit (ABAWD) provision.]{.underline}

**[Slide 9]{.underline}**

[Definition of Homeless ]{.underline}

[For the Food Stamp Program, a homeless individual is an individual who
lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or an individual whose
primary nighttime residence is:]{.underline}

-   [A supervised shelter that provides temporary
    accommodations]{.underline}

-   [A halfway house or similar institution that provides temporary
    residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized
    ]{.underline}

-   [A temporary accommodation for not more than 90 days in the
    residence of another individual ]{.underline}

-   [A place not designed for, or ordinarily used, as a regular sleeping
    accommodation for human beings (a hallway, a bus station, a lobby or
    a similar place). ]{.underline}

**[Slide 10]{.underline}**

[Who is Homeless? ]{.underline}

[According to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP),
a survey conducted of 27 major U.S. cities by the U.S. Conference of
Mayors found that, of those that were homeless:]{.underline}

-   [40 percent are families with children]{.underline}

-   [67 percent are single-parent families]{.underline}

-   [40 percent are single men]{.underline}

-   [39 percent are mentally disabled]{.underline}

-   [34 percent are drug or alcohol dependent.]{.underline}

**[Slide 11]{.underline}**

[Who is Hungry?]{.underline}

[According to the Urban Institute:]{.underline}

-   [28 percent of homeless clients say they sometimes or often do not
    get enough to eat]{.underline}

-   [20 percent eat one meal a day or less]{.underline}

-   [39 percent say that in the last 30 days they were hungry but could
    not afford food to eat]{.underline}

-   [40 percent went one or more days in the last 30 days without
    anything to eat because they could not afford food]{.underline}

-   [Only 37 percent of homeless households receive food
    stamps.]{.underline}

**[Slide 12]{.underline}**

[Filing an Application]{.underline}

[To file an application (start the application process) all that is
needed is a:]{.underline}

1.  [Name]{.underline}

2.  [Address]{.underline}

3.  [Signature]{.underline}

**[Slide 13]{.underline}**

[Expedited Service]{.underline}

[All applicants must be screened for expedited service at the time they
apply for benefits. Households eligible for expedited service get
benefits within 7 days from the date of application. Households are
eligible for expedited service if they:]{.underline}

-   [Have less than \$150 gross monthly income and liquid resources of
    no more than \$100; or]{.underline}

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-   [Are a destitute migrant or seasonal farmworker household and have
    liquid resources of no more than \$100; or]{.underline}

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-   [Have combined monthly gross income and liquid resources of less
    than the household's monthly shelter costs.]{.underline}

**[Slide 14]{.underline}**

[Eligibility Requirements]{.underline}

[To qualify for Food Stamp Program benefits, most households must meet
certain resource and income limits:]{.underline}

[Resource limit---\$2,000 (\$3,000 if a member is 60 or older or
disabled)]{.underline}

-   [Cash, bank accounts, IRAs, bonds]{.underline}

-   [Nonexempt vehicles (exclude first \$4,650 of FMV)]{.underline}

-   [House or personal effects are not counted as resources \*
    ]{.underline}

[Income limits---vary according to household size]{.underline}

-   [Gross monthly income - 130 percent of poverty (\$1,994 for 4 in FY
    '04)]{.underline}

-   [Net monthly income - \$100 percent of poverty (\$1,534 for 4) (Net
    is gross, less allowable deductions)]{.underline}

[\*Note that homes are excluded as resources. A homeless family that
lives in their car can have their vehicle excluded as it is their home.
]{.underline}

**[Slide 15 ]{.underline}**

[Benefits]{.underline}

[Benefit level]{.underline}

-   [Maximum allotment based on Thrifty Food Plan (gives \$471 for
    4)]{.underline}

-   [Deduct 30 percent of net income from maximum allotment]{.underline}

-   [A household with \$0 net income gets the maximum benefit
    ]{.underline}

[Benefit issuance]{.underline}

-   [Households eligible for FS get their benefits through an Electronic
    Benefit Transfer (EBT) card]{.underline}

**[Slide 16]{.underline}**

[Access Issues]{.underline}

[The issues that homeless families face in accessing the Food Stamp
Program occur on three basic levels: ]{.underline}

1.  [Client level]{.underline}

2.  [Service level]{.underline}

3.  [Policy level]{.underline}

**[Slide 17]{.underline}**

[Access Issues---Client Level]{.underline}

[Client level issues in accessing food stamps include: ]{.underline}

1.  [Lack of identification]{.underline}

2.  [Lack of mailing address ]{.underline}

3.  [Lack of transportation]{.underline}

4.  [Lack of information about the program ]{.underline}

5.  [Low literacy level]{.underline}

**[Slide 18]{.underline}**

[Access Issues---Service Level]{.underline}

[Service-level access issues include:]{.underline}

1.  [Complex, lengthy applications that are difficult for clients to
    complete]{.underline}

2.  [Not screening for expedited service or issuing expedited
    benefits]{.underline}

3.  [Misapplication of policy such as:]{.underline}

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a.  [Applying ABAWD policy to a disabled person]{.underline}

b.  [If an ABAWD, not putting homeless client under 15% ABAWD exemption
    or Labor Surplus Area waiver]{.underline}

c.  [Pending case for verification that's not needed to determine
    eligibility (such as a photo ID).]{.underline}

**[Slide 19]{.underline}**

[Access Issues---Service Level (continued)]{.underline}

[Service-level access issues include:]{.underline}

1.  [Incorrectly denying benefits because the client:]{.underline}

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a.  [Lacks a permanent address; or]{.underline}

b.  [Resides in a shelter that provides meals]{.underline}

c.  [Doesn't have a photo ID]{.underline}

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1.  [Lack of sensitivity of some caseworkers.]{.underline}

**[Slide 20]{.underline}**

[Access Issues---Policy Level]{.underline}

[The primary access issue at the policy level is that federal
regulations prohibit the purchase of hot foods and hot food products
prepared for immediate consumption. It would take an act of Congress to
change this rule.]{.underline}

[Currently, some homeless clients can purchase hot food through
restaurants that are authorized meal providers. To become a homeless
meal provider, restaurants contract with the appropriate State agency to
serve meals to homeless persons at low or reduced prices.\* However,
very few restaurants in the U.S. are authorized meal providers.
]{.underline}

[\*Examples of reduced prices include, but are not limited to, a
percentage reduction, a set dollar amount reduction, a daily special
meal, or an offer of a free food item or beverage (excluding alcohol).
]{.underline}

**[Slide 21]{.underline}**

[Improving Access]{.underline}

[Service Level: ]{.underline}

-   [Shorten and simplify application forms]{.underline}

-   [Issue expedited benefits the same day client applies]{.underline}

-   [Train staff on correct FS policy - ]{.underline}

    -   [IDs that are acceptable]{.underline}

    -   [Clients residing in shelters that provide meals can get
        FS]{.underline}

    -   [Take advantage of available exemptions or waivers]{.underline}

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-   [Improve outreach]{.underline}

[A State's best practice: New Hampshire has a nutrition education
brochure that teaches homeless people what they can buy with food stamps
that doesn't require a stove to prepare or a refrigerator to store. The
brochure is provided in places where homeless people congregate, such as
soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters. ]{.underline}

[NH also has a bookmark slip of paper that states boldly
]{.underline}**["]{.underline}[YOU DON]{.underline}[']{.underline}[T
NEED AN ADDRESS TO APPLY FOR FOOD STAMPS. CALL 1-800-852-3345 EXTENSION
4238]{.underline}["]{.underline}[. ]{.underline}**[ As Community Action
Agency homeless outreach workers find homeless campsites or people on
the streets, they leave this slip. ]{.underline}

**[Slide 22]{.underline}**

[Improving Access (continued)]{.underline}

[Policy Level---Policies already in place that States can take advantage
of include:]{.underline}

-   [Simplified housing costs for homeless people---allows States to use
    a homeless shelter deduction of \$143 for homeless households with
    some shelter expenses (Ohio & South Carolina have since been
    added)]{.underline}

-   [Waivers---can waive the ABAWD time limit if the client lives in an
    area that has an unemployment rate over 10 percent or an
    insufficient number of jobs (e.g. designated as an LSA or average
    unemployment rate is 20 percent above the national average for a
    24-month period)]{.underline}

[Coming Soon: FNS Homeless Access Guide!]{.underline}

**[Slide 23]{.underline}**

[Improving Access (continued)]{.underline}

[Policy Level---Policies already in place that States can take advantage
of include:]{.underline}

-   [Exemptions---15% ABAWD, disability, drug and alcohol, and
    others]{.underline}

-   [Semiannual reporting (SR)---allows States to extend semi-annual
    reporting of changes to all households not exempt from periodic
    reporting. SR Households only have to report when income exceeds the
    gross income limits.]{.underline}

**[Relevant Links]{.underline}[---]{.underline}**

[ FNS: ]{.underline}

[ Informational materials: ]{.underline}

[Coming Soon: FNS Homeless Access Guide!]{.underline}