Content provided by the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 10.551
Food Stamps
FEDERAL
AGENCY:
FOOD
AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AUTHORIZATION:
Food
Stamp Act of 1977, as amended, Public Law 95- 113, 91 Stat. 958,
7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.; Public Law 95-348, Public Law 96-58, Public
Law 96- 249, Public Law 97-35; Public Law 97-98; Public Law 97-253,
Public Law 98-204, Public Law 98-369; Public Law 99-198, Public
Law 99-425; Public Law 99-498, Public Law 99-603, Public Law 100-77,
Public Law 100-175, Public Law 100-232, Public Law 100-387, Public
Law 100-435, Public Law 100-503, Public Law 100-707, Public Law
101-202; Public Law 101-392; Public Law 101-508; Public Law 101-624;
Public Law 102-237; Public Law 102-265; Public Law 102-325; Public
Law 103-31; Public Law 103-66; Public Law 103-225; Public Law 103-286;
Public Law 103-296; Public Law 104-66; Public Law 104-127; Public
Law 104-193; Public Law 104-208; Public Law 105-18; Public Law 105-33;
Public Law 105-185; Public Law 105-379; Public Law 106-171; Public
Law 106-387.
To
improve diets of low-income households by increasing their food
purchasing ability.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Direct Payments for Specified Use. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Households
receive food stamp benefits which varies according to household
size and income. The maximum allotment for a household's size is
reduced by 30 percent of the net income. Food stamp benefits may
be used in participating retail stores to buy food for home consumption
and garden seeds and plants to produce food for personal consumption.
In certain remote areas of Alaska, recipients may use food stamp
benefits to purchase hunting and fishing equipment (excluding equipment
for transportation, clothing and shelter, firearms, ammunition and
other explosives), for procurement of food. Food stamp benefits
may be used by certain elderly and handicapped persons, and their
spouses, who cannot prepare their own meals to have meals delivered
to them in their homes by authorized meal delivery services. Elderly
and certain disabled persons and their spouses may also use food
stamp benefits to purchase meals in establishments providing communal
dining for the elderly. Drug addicts and alcoholics who are participating
in approved rehabilitation programs may use food stamp benefits
to purchase meals prepared by the program. Disabled or blind persons
receiving benefits under Titles I, II, X, XIV, or XVI of the Social
Security Act may use food stamp benefits to purchase meals prepared
and served under certain group living arrangements. Residents of
shelters for battered women and children may use food stamp benefits
to purchase meals prepared by shelters. Homeless persons eligible
for food stamp benefits may purchase prepared meals from an authorized
establishment approved to feed them. As provided by Public Law 105-18,
States have the option to pay the cost of providing food stamps
to non- citizens made ineligible for them by welfare reform (Public
Law 104- 193), and to individuals disqualified by the new work requirement
included in welfare reform. As of February 2002, 7 States (California,
Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, and Wisconsin) are
operating State option programs to provide food stamp benefits to
some or all otherwise eligible non-citizens.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: The State or U.S. Territory agency
responsible for Federally aided public assistance programs submits
requests for funding to USDA's Food and Nutrition Service.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Households may participate if
they are found by local welfare officials to be in need of food
assistance. Examples include most households who are receiving
some form of welfare assistance, or are unemployed, part-time
employed, working for low wages, or living on limited pensions.
Eligibility is based on family size, income, and level of resources.
Able-bodied adults with certain limited exceptions must meet a
work requirement.
Credentials/Documentation:
Households are individually certified by local welfare offices
based on National eligibility standards, with verification as
required by regulation. This program is excluded from coverage
under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Pre-application
Coordination: None. This program is excluded
from coverage under E.O. 12372 and OMB Circular No. A-102.
Application
Procedure: The Food Stamp Act of 1977, as
amended (Public Law 95-113), requires each State agency to submit
to the Food and Nutrition Service for approval, a plan of operation
specifying the manner in which the Food Stamp Program will be
conducted in every political subdivision within the State. This
program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award
Procedure: The Secretary of Agriculture designates
each State agency that operates the program upon submission of
a request.
Deadlines:
The authority to continue the Food Stamp Program has been extended
through September 30, 2002.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Full implementation
of the Nationwide mandate was completed in fiscal year 1975, except
for certain Indian reservations which continued in the Food Distribution
Program.
Appeals:
There are no appeals.
Renewals:
Program continues once approved, unless there is a substantial
failure to comply with regulations or withdrawal on the part of
the State.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Department of Agriculture
pays 100 percent of the cost of benefits to individuals and households.
The statistical factors used to set benefit levels are: 1. Cost
of the thrifty food plan and the source is the Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion; and 2. the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and
components of the CPI (National, except for territories outside
the continental United States) and the source is the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (CPI for urban wage earners and clerical workers annually).
The statistical factor used for eligibility is nonfarm poverty income
guidelines and the source is the Federal poverty guidelines (modified).
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Length of
assistance period varies and time phasing is not applicable.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Annual budget summary statements; monthly report of coupons with
a summary of inventory of coupons on hand (unless State Agency has
converted to exclusive EBT issuance Statewide); monthly and annual
quality control reports; quarterly financial status report; quarterly
report on claims against households; monthly mail issuance report
provided quarterly; monthly issuance reconciliation report; monthly
issuance and participation estimates; report of disqualified recipients;
and cumulative totals for the fiscal year.
Audits:
Projects are subject to audit by Office of Inspector General,
USDA.
Records:
Records of households certified, benefits issued, and records
relating to any financial transaction are required and must be
maintained for 3 years.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 12-3505-0-1-605.
Obligations:
(Direct payments to individuals) FY 01 $16,593,485,000; FY 02
est $19,423,936,000; and FY 03 est $22,602,142,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
Varies by income and family size. Averaged $74.79 per month,
per person, in fiscal year 2001.
During fiscal year 2001, every area in every State operated a Food
Stamp Program. Participation per month averaged 17.32 million persons.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
7 CFR 271 - 282. Available from the national office and the regional
offices: "Facts About the Food Stamp Program, "PA-1340 (English)
and PA-1340-S (Spanish); "Official Food List," FNS-110 (English),
FNS-110-S (Spanish), FNS-110-K (Korean), FNS-110-V (Vietnamese),
FNS-110 (English/Chinese), FNS-110-Alaska; FNS-136 EBT Do's and
Don'ts/Penalties for Violations of the FSP; "USDA Food Assistance"
(poster) FNS-200, fns-200-S (Spanish); "USDA Food Assistance" (flyer),
FNS-182 (English), FNS-182-S (Spanish); Food Stamp Rights Poster,
FNS-183 (English) and FNS-183-S (Spanish); Using Food Stamps Poster,
FNS-283 (English) and FNS-283-S (Spanish); Team Nutrition Series
of flyers (English/Spanish); "We Accept Food Stamps" (poster), FNS-132;
"We Accept Food Stamps" (decal); FNS- 1325, "We Accept Food Stamps"
(Spanish), (poster and decal); FNS-240 (English) Report Abuse Poster.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: See the Food and Nutrition
Service Regional Offices listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters
Office: Deputy Administrator, Food Stamp Program,
Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, Alexandria,
VA 22302. Contact: Bonny O'Neil, Acting Deputy Administrator,
Food Stamp Program. Telephone: (703) 305-2026. Use the same number
for FTS.
