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IMA POLICY MANUAL
PART I: INTRODUCTION
The amount of FS benefits that eligible individuals and households can receive is based on USDA's Thrifty Food Plan budget, household income, and the number of eligible members in the household. Eligible households can receive FS benefits of up to a maximum of the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan budget. Certain income is not counted when determining eligibility and benefits. Certain households must also pass an 'asset test' to be eligible for Food Stamps.
FS benefits, unlike TANF or GC benefits, can only be used for the specific purchase of food staples, limited to the following:
- any staple foods, including meat, poultry, fish, bread, cereals, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Staple foods do not include accessory food items, such as coffee, tea, carbonated or uncarbonated drinks, candy, condiments, spices, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, hot foods, or hot food products for immediate consumption;
- seeds and plants for use in home gardens to produce food for the personal consumption of eligible individuals;
- in the case of eligible individuals over sixty years of age or those receiving SSI, disability, or blindness benefits, meals prepared by and served in eligible federally subsidized centers and residences;
- In the case of eligible individuals over sixty years of age or who are physically or mentally handicapped, meals prepared and delivered to them at home by a public or private nonprofit agency or through a contract with the Department.
- in the case of drug and/or alcohol dependent eligible individuals, meals served in drug and alcohol treatment programs or residential facilities;
- in the case of women and children residing in domestic violence shelters, meals prepared by and served in the domestic violence shelters; and
- in the case of homeless eligible individuals, meals prepared and served by a public or private nonprofit agency or through a contract with the Department.
Recipients of FS benefits who live in an institutional setting including residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities, may receive their FS benefits indirectly. IMA issues FS benefits directly to the residential institution providing nutritious meals to eligible recipients (see Chapter 10: Institutional Status in Part IV).
Eligibility Criteria 2.5.2
All FS recipients must be District residents and must be either a U.S. citizens or must fall within certain categories of immigrants (see Chapter 7: Citizenship/Alienage in Part IV). Generally, a household's gross income must be below 130 percent of the FPL and a household's net income must be below 100 percent of the FPL to be eligible for FS. Certain households, however, are not required to meet the gross income test (see Section 8.4: Determining Benefit Level/Amount of Assistance in Part VI).
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