Linking Food Stamp Outreach to Other Outreach Efforts

This page gives a simple overview of some of the issues that Food Stamp Outreach coordinators have encountered in the past. They pertain to other food programs from which clients may benefit. The Food Research and Action Center’s guide to the Food Stamp Program contains advice on linking outreach efforts of different programs, including all of those listed below as well as Medi-Cal (Medicaid) and Medicare. Click here for the 2006 version.

Nutrition Education

Food Stamp outreach is intricately related to any nutrition education that food banks and other organization may already be doing. At the 2007 California Working Families Policy Summit, the California Association of Food Banks presented a short list of principles that nutrition educators should follow while creating a program.

SSI

SSI recipients are not eligible for Food Stamps in CA.  Many coordinators, however, still encounter many SSI households who might be food insecure; some of these clients might also be housing insecure/homeless. It is helpful to be aware that if a client receiving SSI does not have access to cooking facilities, s/he should be eligible for the Restaurant Meals Allowance, providing him/her with an extra $82 per month ( $164 per month for a couple).  This link will give you data about SSI allotments :   www.ccld.ca.gov/res/pdf/SSI-SSPStandardChart01-05.pdf . A more thorough explanation of SSI is available here.

Armed Forces and National Flood Insurance Program

Some of your clients might be able to receive supplemental food assistance besides the Food Stamp program. This memorandum provides guidance to State administrators in making household eligibility determinations in all nutrition assistance programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Specifically, this memorandum addresses: (1) Armed Forces Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) payments provided to the families of service members by the Department of Defense ; and (2) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) payments made under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as amended by Public Law 109-64, enacted on September 20, 2005.

EITC and Food Stamp Eligibility

CFR 273.8(e)(12) indicates that Earned Income Tax Credit payments will be excluded as resources as follows:
(i) A Federal earned income tax credit received either as a lump sum or as payments under section 3507 of the Internal Revenue Code for the month of receipt and the following month for the individual and that individual's spouse. (Important for new applicants).
(ii) Any Federal, State or local earned income tax credit received by any household member shall be excluded for 12 months, provided the household was participating in the Food Stamp Program at the time of receipt of the earned income tax credit and provided the household participates continuously during that 12-month period. Breaks in participation of one month or less due to administrative reasons, such as delayed recertification or missing or late monthly reports, shall not be considered as nonparticipation in determining the 12-month exclusion. (Important for existing FSP clients).
This means that clients would not need to immediately spend down the credit in order to lower their resources if the credit would make them exceed the resource limit.  It is advisable to apply for FS sooner rather than later. Please note that if the client’s employer allows him/her to arrange for monthly EITC payments through the client’s paycheck, then the credit is still exempt as a resource/income for the same time frame for FSP purposes.  

School Meal Programs and Summer Lunch Program

The Nutrition Consortium of New York State (http://www.hungernys.org) published a short guide to administrative advocacy for school meal programs. Some action items on this list might coincide with food stamp outreach advocacy efforts. 

The Illinois Hunger Coalition’s website explains all of the school meal and summer lunch programs. Some of the information is particular to Illinois, but the site provides an introduction to those who are unfamiliar to these programs. See: http://www.ilhunger.org/nutritionprograms/nutritionprograms.php

The California Association of Food Banks and Congressional Hunger Center has also created www.summerlunch.org, a comprehensive guide for program rules in California.