Food Stamp Eligibility Discussed at Hillside Library

A food stamp eligibility workshop Monday brought a small group of New Hyde Park residents to the .  

The program was presented by Bianca Nunez, coordinator of Nutrition Outreach and Education Program for the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island.

“The food stamp program is a beautiful program, [which] is food assistance for any individual,” Nunez said. “It’s based on income, depending on how much income is in the household and how many people live in that household.”

For example, Nunez gave out a chart that stated for seniors, disabled and working families with child or adult-care expenses, if the household size is one person, the gross monthly income (before taxes) must be $1,805 or lower.  For two people in the household the income must be $2,428 or lower and so on.

“Now people use the EBT card,” Nunez explained. “The EBT card looks like an ATM card and you go to the supermarket, you swipe the card and you’re going to be assigned a pin number, so you punch in the pin number and that’s how you pay for your food.”

The Electronic Benefits Transfer card allows for the purchase of all kinds of food except for the prepared foods in the deli section, such as roasted chickens and already prepared pasta and salads.

“Once you get approved, you get the benefit card…and in the beginning of [each] month they will put the money on the card, you spend your money as much as you want and [any money not spent on the card accumulates for next month],” Nunez said.

The minimum amount a person can receive in food stamps is $20 per month and the maximum is $200 per month.  Depending on the household income and expenses (such as mortgage payments, taxes and homeowners insurance), that determines the correct amount of money.

“There is an application that has to be completed and sent to the Department of Social Services,” Nunez said. “The Department of Social Services processes the application, they request documentation and they make sure all the information you provided is your information, and it takes four to six weeks before they make a decision.”

Documentation required is proof of citizenship and ID, or a green card for more than five years for an immigrant. Proof of income over the past 30 days must be provided as well.

 “Once you are approved, you are going to receive benefits for a certain period of time,” Nunez said. “After that time [which they will tell you on the approval letter], you will have to re-certify; meaning you have to provide your income and expenses information again, just to make sure you are eligible to continue receiving benefits.”

For seniors, that re-certification is every year or two years in some cases, and for working families it is every six months.  

“Let’s say there’s a family whose income is $1,000 a month and the rent is $700 a month, they are probably going to get something close to the maximum,” Nunez said. “If this family’s shelter expenses are over 50 percent of their income, they’re probably going to get something close to the income, versus a family that has the same income, but they are on subsidized rent, they are going to get less.”

For more information on food stamps, visit the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island’s Website, or attend the second food stamp informational session at the Hillside Public Library on Nov. 21 at 10:30 a.m.