Food Stamp Benefits in Washington State
Low-income households in the state of Washington can qualify for food stamp benefits under the state's Basic Food program, administered by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Basic Food helps to supplement nutritional needs by providing a monthly food benefit card, which participants can use to purchase food items from local stores. The program has residency requirements and income limits, and the amount of benefits can vary.
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Applying for Benefits
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Low-income residents can apply for Basic Food benefits at any DSHS Community Services Office in the state. The DSHS website also provides an online application, or applicants can apply over the phone by calling 877-501-2233. Applicants must provide a Social Security number, proof of income and expenses and identification. Basic Food provides benefits to people with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and does not require U.S. citizenship to participate. Households with one person can have a maximum income of $1,805 per month, and families of five can have a monthly income of up to $4,299, as of November 2010.
Primary Food Benefits
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DSHS determines benefit amounts based on household size, living expenses and income. According to DSHS, the average household receives approximately $245 in benefits each month, based on February 2010 statistics. Households that have low living expenses or incomes at the higher end of the limit scale can receive lower monthly allowances. Households with one person can receive a maximum of $200 in benefits per month, while families with five people can receive up to $793.
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Secondary Benefits
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DSHS enrolls all Basic Food participants with children in a program that offers free school meals for the kids. By meeting income limits of the Basic Food program, participants may also qualify for the Women Infants and Children program to receive additional food benefits. Basic Food qualification also entitles participants to low-cost telephone service provided by the Washington Telephone Assistance Program.
Using Benefits
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Basic Food participants receive an electronic benefits transfer card (EBT) from the DSHS. The card looks similar to a credit or debit card and contains credit for monthly benefits. The EBT card enables enrollees to purchase food at participating convenience, grocery and discount stores, including retail chains. Participating food sellers display EBT logos at store locations. Enrollees can also use EBT benefit cards at stores outside of Washington that participate in the federal food stamp program. The EBT card works in a similar way to using a credit or debit card. Retailers swipe the card at checkout, which transfers payment from DSHS to the retailer and deducts the amount paid from the participant's monthly benefit allotment.
Eligible Food Purchases
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The Basic Food program limits what enrollees can buy with benefits. Participants can purchase unprepared foods such as breads, vegetables, dairy products, meats and fruits. Prohibited items include pet foods, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, household cleaning supplies and prepared foods.
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