Food Stamps for Seniors
Food stamps are a special government program designed to enhance the nutritional intake of low-income individuals. Stamps are used to purchase food and food-related items. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program--or SNAP, as food stamps are known--is not a welfare program. Persons applying for food stamps must prove eligibility. Specific rules pertain to senior citizens. Seniors qualify for food stamps under generally more liberal criteria than most other applicants.
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Eligibility Requirements
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To qualify for food stamps as a senior citizen, one must be at least 60 years of age. Seniors may also not possess total assets valued at more than $3,000. This is $1,000 more than the amount of assets allowed for those under 60. Homes are not counted toward seniors' assets. A vehicle worth more than $4,650 is counted unless the senior is disabled and requires that vehicle for transportation, or if the vehicle is used to transport a disabled member of the senior's household. There are no gross monthly income limits for senior households applying for food stamps.
Household Income
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Seniors are subject only to the food stamp program's net monthly income regulations. Any individual's income is broken down into both gross and net. For the purposes of calculating food stamp eligibility, gross income includes virtually all payments that come into a household. Net income is the income that remains from these payments minus approved deductions for childcare, some shelter expenses, and certain other legally allowable expenses. To qualify for food stamps, seniors' total net income must not exceed the federal poverty level of $1,838 a month for a household of four.
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Citizenship and Residency Status
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Citizenship is not a requirement for senior citizens to receive food stamps. Immigrant seniors can qualify for assistance even if other members of the household do not. Senior immigrants who were legal residents of the United States on Aug. 22, 1996, and who were born on or before Aug. 22, 1931, are not subject to any additional stipulations concerning immigrants. Other immigrant seniors must comply with specific rules laid out by the Food and Nutrition Service in its Food Stamp Policy on Immigrants.
Applying for Food Stamps
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Specific application procedures vary somewhat form state to state, as each state is required to create its own application form. Most applicants must participate in a formal interview with a program representative. Seniors who are unable to attend such an interview may, in some states, participate in a telephone interview or apply online. In many jurisdictions, a family member or other representative of the applicant may attend the interview instead.
Benefits
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As of October 2009, food stamp benefits for seniors ranged from assistance of $10 to $139 a month. Benefits are calculated according to the Food and Nutrition Services' Thrifty Food Plan. The plan is a low-cost nutrition plan that is based on the Recommended Daily Allowances formulated by the National Academy of Sciences. It consists of hypothetical purchases of reasonably priced foods that provide a balanced and healthful diet. Food stamps may be used to purchase food items such as cereals, fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. They can also be used to purchase the seeds used to grow food. Most non-food items, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and medicines are not included in the list of food-stamp-eligible items.
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