? About food stamps..do we qualify

[happy_momma]

Ok Ok I know there is alot considered when they evaluate for food stamps but just by giving a brief rundown, so you think we would qualify.
DH makes about 4500 per month for a family of 4 (but according to taxes only about 1/2 is accounted for at income since he is military and the other is a housing allowance. We have no savings and about 10,000 in debt. My DH does have some money in investments but its only about 6g total. We live in Northern cali (between sac and tahoe)..think theres even a chance we would qualify? Also, how do you go about finding out if you do qualify?

[neetling]

http://www.foodstampguide.org/?page_id=42

hth

[TiredX2]

Here is some additional information regarding the military:

http://www.foodstampguide.org/?page_id=92

Some military pay, such as combat pay, is not counted. Many other payments, however, are treated as income. Typical payments treated as income are the Family Self-Sufficiency Allowance (FSSA), and the basic housing allowance, for off-base housing.

From the PP, though, it looks like you can't net over $1767 for a family of 4 in CA.

[RoadWorkAhead]

Also, savings in excess of 2k are a disqualifier, at least in every state I've looked at. I know we have to count per diem towards programs like that even though we don't pay taxes, etc. on it

[nerdymom]

yeah, I don't think you would qualify in my area, but I don't know about cali. Why don't you go online to the SNAP (they are changing the name of FS in Oct.) eligibility tool? http://www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov/fns/ Or just go to an office. If you have more time than money, why not give it a shot?

[Maluhia]

It's your investments that will probably disqualify you.

[Chicky2]

I would think that if you can have 6k in investments, you could buy food, and I'm sure the FS office would think that too. Maybe a better idea would be to take that 6k and put it towards your 10k debt and those debt payments would be less?

[Amylcd]

In Ohio, a family of 4 can make $2,297 (or less) to qualify. You can also never have more than 2,000 at any given time (this includes cash on hand, checking / savings accounts and any type of investments).

[bobandjess99]

no way. Some programs, like WIC or medicaid, have high limits to help middle class epople like yourself. but food stamps are strictly a poverty level assistance, and you are way above the limits, in a number of ways.

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by TiredX2

Here is some additional information regarding the military:

http://www.foodstampguide.org/?page_id=92



From the PP, though, it looks like you can't net over $1767 for a family of 4 in CA.

Originally Posted by RoadWorkAhead

Also, savings in excess of 2k are a disqualifier, at least in every state I've looked at. I know we have to count per diem towards programs like that even though we don't pay taxes, etc. on it

Originally Posted by KailuaMamatoMaya

It's your investments that will probably disqualify you.

Originally Posted by bobandjess99

no way. Some programs, like WIC or medicaid, have high limits to help middle class epople like yourself. but food stamps are strictly a poverty level assistance, and you are way above the limits, in a number of ways.

I agree with all the posts I quoted.

[Thystle]

Any state assistance does not care how much debt you have.


It looks like you are over for CA WIC and Medi-Cal too.


Housing I assume is considered because you are given money to pay a bill (your residence) and therefore yes you are "making" that money.






I too would look at using the investment and pay down debt. Have you read any Dave Ramsey books (like Total Money Makeover) or "Your Money or Your Life"?

[neetling]

Originally Posted by Amylcd

In Ohio, a family of 4 can make $2,297 (or less) to qualify. You can also never have more than 2,000 at any given time (this includes cash on hand, checking / savings accounts and any type of investments).

I wonder about this because we qualify for the EIC which puts us WAY over that. Of course that $ is gone quickly a we use it to pay off bills. I was told we did not have to claim any tax refunds. Anyone know for sure?

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by neetling

I wonder about this because we qualify for the EIC which puts us WAY over that. Of course that $ is gone quickly a we use it to pay off bills. I was told we did not have to claim any tax refunds. Anyone know for sure?

While you might briefly have more than $2,000 in checking the EIC should not impact your overall eligibilty or not. If the cut off for a program in an annual gross income of $30,000 it wouldn't matter whether or not you had $10,000 or $0 withheld from you paycheck. The EIC is not set up that you are going to get more $ back than you earned from work.

[mommy2maya]

I don't think investments such as retirement savings accounts don't count towards the savings limit, since it is not liquid.

[mommy2maya]

but you wouldn't be eligible anyway based on your income.

[pollyanna]

in massachusettes they have changed the asset rule. I'm not sure about other states but here is what they say.
http://www.gettingfoodstamps.org/newrules.htm


June 2008


Asset Test Eliminated for Most Households
For most low-income households, assets are not considered in determining SNAP eligibility. Assets are only considered when households contain a member who is over 60 or disabled and the gross income exceeds the low-income criteria. For more information about assets for people over 60 or disabled, click on “Who Uses SNAP/Food Stamps” and scroll toTable C - Asset Guidelines for Households with Members over 60 or Disabled. As of June 9, 2008, DTA no longer counts money in the bank, a car, retirement accounts, your home or other assets. For more specific information, please call the Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333.

They told me when I applied that if I had a child under 18yrs of age that money in the bank wasn't counted.

Pollyanna

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by mommy2maya

I don't think investments such as retirement savings accounts don't count towards the savings limit, since it is not liquid.

They counted for us. I had a 401k that disqualified us from getting food stamps. I closed it out and used the money to pay toward our one and only credit card. As soon as that 401k was gone, we qualified.

It counted because we 'could' withdraw from it if we wanted to, even though it took a couple days to close and we had to pay the taxes on it.

The paperwork we were given during the application process said that we could not have more than $2000 in assets in any form in a bank, whether savings, checking, IRA or in total of all our accounts. We applied after the date quoted in the previous post.

[pollyanna]

it maybe that different states do it diffently.

[~PurityLake~]

Originally Posted by pollyanna

it maybe that different states do it differently.

I figure so. But I couldn't remember if food stamps were a state aid or a federal aid, so that's why I didn't mention it.

[pollyanna]

I thought foodstamps were fed but it seems that too many states determine elegilby differntly.

Pollyanna