Getting Food Stamps

Contributor

By Vera Hogan
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (1 Ratings)

Getting Food Stamps

There are times when getting enough food to feed your family becomes a struggle. Whether there isn't much money left after the bills are paid or you are unemployed, the need for help is there. Everyone deserves healthy nutrition to promote growth and strength. The ease of getting food stamps depends on who your case worker is and in which county or state you live.

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Social Security card
Proof of yearly income
Electricity bill

Getting Food Stamps

Step 1

Make an appointment with a case worker at your local food-stamp office.
Step 2

Gather all needed documents for your case worker. You will need your Social Security card, proof of your yearly income and your electricity bill. This last one is for verification that you have a residence. You will also need to bring each member of your household's Social Security cards. You must be a citizen of the United States.
Step 3

Meet with your case worker. This is the person who will be handling your case. Give her all your documentation and she will make copies.
Step 4

Fill out all of the appropriate papers. Each state has its own rules on getting food stamps. Some states have more red tape and rules, while in other states it is a fairly fast and easy task to get food stamps.
Step 5

Your case worker will input all your personal information into the computer. It will take a few minutes to find out if you are eligible for food stamps, so at this point you must wait. Your case worker should be able to tell you if you are eligible and how much you will receive at the same time.

Tips & Warnings

Before you can begin using your food stamps you might have to wait until a card comes in the mail. This card will look like a credit card but will only be for electronic benefit transfer use and could take up to a week to arrive.
If your income increases or decreases, you must let your case worker know so that she can adjust your food-stamp benefits.
Your card will have an 800 number that you can call to check your remaining balance.