November 25, 2008
Some Montanans May Qualify for More SNAP Benefits
Some former Montana Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients may now be eligible for an additional three months of benefits, according to Hank Hudson, who oversees the program for the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.
To confirm eligibility, people are encouraged to contact their local Office of Public Assistance.
SNAP was previously known as the Food Stamp Program before the program’s name officially changed Oct. 1, 2008.
SNAP benefits are governed by a 1996 federal law that allows for 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 waive the time limits in counties that meet high unemployment rates. The time limits also can be waived for individuals who are employed 20 hours a week, physically unable to work, age 50 or older, age 17 or younger, or, in an approved employment and training program for 20 hours per week.
In Montana, 11 counties and six American Indian reservations are exempt from the three-month time limits for able-bodied adults without dependents, Hudson said.
For the remaining 45 counties, the new three-year time period for benefits begins December 1. These counties and the one American Indian reservation are: Beaverhead, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Choteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Missoula, Park, Philips, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone, and the Flathead Indian Reservation.
In those counties, Hudson said, able-bodied Montanans without dependents who used up their benefits for the 2005-2008 period may now be eligible for up to three months of benefits.
Last year, about 81,000 low income Montanans were able to eat a more nutritious diet by supplementing their food budget with SNAP benefits, Hudson said. Income, resources, household size, and allowable expenses determine the amount of benefits a household can receive.
For more information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, visit www.dphhs.mt.gov. Then, click on ‘Programs and Services’ and then ‘Public Assistance.’
Or, call Hudson at 406-444-5901
