December 2, 2005
Some Montanans May Qualify for More SNAP
Some former Montana food-stamp recipients may now be eligible for an additional three months of benefits, according to Hank Hudson, who oversees the food stamp program for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
To find out if they're eligible, people should contact their local Office of Public Assistance.
SNAP are governed by a 1996 federal law that allows only three months of benefits in a three-year period to anyone who is considered to be an "able-bodied adult without dependents," Hudson explained.
Under the law, states can choose to eliminate the time limits in counties with high unemployment rates. The time limits also can be waived for individuals who are either employed 20 hours a week, physically unable to work, age 50 or older, or age 17 or younger.
In Montana , 20 counties and all seven Indian reservations are exempt from the three-month time limits for able-bodied adults without dependents, Hudson said.
For the remaining 36 counties, the new three-year time period for benefits began Dec. 1. Those counties are: Beaverhead, Blaine , Broadwater, Carter, Cascade, Custer, Dawson , Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Gallatin , Garfield , Golden Valley , Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin , Lewis and Clark, Madison , McCone, Meagher, Park, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Prairie, Richland , Sheridan , Silver Bow, Sweet Grass, Teton, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, and Yellowstone .
In those counties, Hudson said, able-bodied Montanans without dependents who used up their food stamp benefits for the 2002-2005 period may now be eligible for up to three more months of benefits.
Each year, about 80,000 low-income Montanans are able to eat a more nutritious diet by supplementing their food budget with SNAP, Hudson said. Income, resources, and household size determine the amount of SNAP a household can get.
To apply for the program, an individual must be a U.S. citizen or legal alien, have a Social Security number, meet income and resource guidelines, and--if he or she is between the ages of 15 and 60--register for work.
For more information about the food stamp program, visit www.dphhs.mt.gov . Click on Programs and Services and then Public Assistance. Or call your local Office of Public Assistance.
Page last updated: 06/15/2006
