Food stamps

Food stamps

What is happening to Food Stamp caseloads in the states?

How have changes in federal law affected immigrant eligibility for food stamps?

What can states do to simplify the Food Stamp application process?

What is happening to Food Stamp caseloads in the states?

Food stamp caseloads nationwide decreased significantly following the implementation of welfare reform, although more recently states have begun to see an increase in participation rates. According to an analysis of preliminary U.S. Department of Agriculture data, participation in the food stamp program increased by 23,935 people from June 2002 to July 2002, for a total of 19,344,019 individuals. The July 2002 level is an increase of 2.4 million people over the caseload low point in July 2000. Increases in caseloads can be attributed to outreach campaigns, state efforts to reduce barriers to participation (e.g., simplified application forms) and the declining economy. Participation increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia from one-year prior. Increases were sharpest in the Midwestern and Western states, with the highest increase in Nevada (34 percent).

How have changes in federal law affected immigrant eligibility for food stamps?

Effective October 1, 2002, disabled "qualified" legal immigrants--who meet the definition of disability in the food stamp law--are eligible for food stamps, regardless of their date of entry into the United States. On April 1, 2003, immigrants between the ages of 18 and 64 who have been in the United States for five years became eligible if they meet all other program requirements. And as of October 1, 2003, qualified immigrant children will become eligible, regardless of the amount of time they have resided in the U.S.

For an in-depth discussion of the food stamp program changes, see the NCSL document "Food Stamp Reauthorization: a Guide to Program Changes for State Legislators," available at www.ncsl.org/statefed/humserv/fsguidenew.htm.

What can states do to simplify the Food Stamp application process?

State efforts to simplify the food stamp application process have largely focused on reducing the length and complexity of the application or eligibility paperwork. Currently, 14 states have applications that are 6 pages or less. For example, Texas has taken steps to streamline the application process by requiring only one joint application form for Food Stamps, Medicaid, and TANF eligibility. The application form has been reduced to four pages and is in a bilingual format. Policy makers and advocates for the poor are pushing for the adoption of a similar process in California. Other state efforts to increase access to the food stamp program include increased outreach services that target eligible populations who are not currently participating in the program.

The US Department of Agriculture has produced a publication, Improving Food Stamp Program Access: State Best Practices (available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Memo/state_best_practices/pdfs/introduction.pdf), that highlights recent efforts by the states to simplify the application process and other efforts designed to improve access to the program.

Additionally, H.R. 2646, which reauthorized the federal farm and food and nutrition programs, includes several simplifications of the Food Stamp application process. A simplified definition of income can be adopted through a state option to exclude certain types of income that are not counted under the state's TANF or Medicaid programs. States also have the option of extending semi-annual reporting of income changes to all households and an option to extend transitional food stamps for families moving from welfare to work from three to five months.

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