Food Stamps
Food Stamps and Food Assistance 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.
Eligibility Requirements
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
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.
Citizenship and Residency Status
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
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
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.