![]() ![]() The language in the Senate's budget bill appears to be lifted from Senate Bill 17 sponsored by Sen. "These families have just cause for not pursuing a formal child support arrangement," Hamler-Fugitt said. Requiring women - some of whom are victims of domestic violence - to seek a formal agreement is going to push them out of the system. “This simply follows federal guidelines," Fortney said. "We want to make sure these critical funds are available to those who need them the most.”Īnother issue Hamler-Fugitt had with proposed changes was child support. And it excludes the value of homes less than $600,000 and cars used for work or those worth less than $4,650. The Senate plan requires Ohio to verify the current federal guidelines, which sets that asset limit for people under 60 who are not disabled. "Senior citizens who may have a modest burial insurance policy would have to liquidate that policy in order to feed themselves."īut John Fortney, a spokesman for Senate Republicans, called those analogies unfair. "Families are going to have to sell their cars to keep their SNAP benefits. The problem, Hamler-Fugitt said, is that the Senate set the total limit at $2,250. And the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services would have to "conduct an asset test for each SNAP recipient." Parents would have to cooperate "with the child support enforcement program" as a condition of eligibility. Ohioans who receive food assistance would have 30 days to notify the program of a change in income that was more than $500. "It’s going to take food out of the mouths of hungry children and working families," Ohio Association of Foodbanks Director Lisa Hamler-Fugitt said. "Unfortunately, a lot of folks take advantage of that who don’t qualify," Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said.īut opponents argue the changes - especially the "low limit" on total assets - will have the opposite effect. Supporters say the changes would make Ohio's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as food stamps, more secure and therefore better able to serve families in need. ![]() To get a better idea of if you may qualify, visit USDA’s SNAP Eligibility page or apply for food assistance.Republicans in the Ohio Senate dropped a series of last-minute changes into their version of the state budget bill that would change the rules for families who get assistance with their groceries. Some households may qualify if they have incomes over the limit if someone in the household is elderly or disabled. You may qualify for benefits if your household’s gross monthly income is at or below 130 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Both families and individuals may be eligible. Do you qualify?Įligibility for food assistance is complex – based on family size, income and expenses. ![]() Healthy people under 60 participate in Food Assistance Employment and Training while receiving food assistance to help them gain work experience and move toward self-sufficiency. SNAP benefits are loaded onto a Ohio Direction Card, which can be used like a debit card at stores. The goal of SNAP is to help families stretch their food budgets to buy healthy food and to help families meet their basic needs while adults work toward financial stability. Food Assistance (formerly known as food stamps) is called SNAP, which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. ![]()
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