Thursday, December 9, 2010

Texas Food Stamps

By Simon Smith


The Food Stamp Program is now called the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The program's main objective is to help low-income people and families buy the food they need to live healthy lives. Food stamp eligibility is intended dependent on a household's income limits and resources, relative to the family size.

In the state of Texas, the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issues SNAP benefits through the Lone Star Card (an EBT card). Each month, the recipients' authorised SNAP amounts are based in their accounts.

The HHSC sends a renewal application before the end of each benefit period. Typically, a benefit period exists for 6 months. Still, depending on your situation, a benefit period can be as long as three years or as short as one month.

For people ages 18 to 50 years of age who do not have children living at home, the SNAP benefit period is normally restricted to three months in a three-year period. It can be extended if you're on the job at least 20 hours in a week, or if you're going to a job training program.

Individuals who are expectant or who are afflicted aren't required to work to get food stamp benefits.

Emergency SNAP

Emergency SNAP benefits are distributed faster to help people in emergencies. A family is defined to be in an emergency when:

* the family owns resources worth $100 or less and the household monthly income is less than $150 * the family's resources and income are worth less than their monthly expenses for utilities and mortgage (or rent) * the household includes a migrant or a seasonal farm worker who earns very small income and has resources worth $100 or less.




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