- Food Stamps -

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Food stamps are provided once a month through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) by the state for the purpose of buying groceries. All allowable food products purchased with food stamps are exempt from the state sales tax of 6 percent. Food stamps cannot be used to buy non-food items like soap, diapers, alcohol, or tobacco. The Food Stamp Program is administered by the US Department of Agriculture, however, applications for food stamps are available at the local Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR).

Eligibility for food stamps is based on the number of individuals residing in the applicants home, as well as gross income and counted liquid assets. A household includes all adults and children in the household and purchase and prepare meals together. The DHHR determines eligibility by calculating the gross income and counted liquid assets for everyone included in the food stamps.

Resources do not include the value of your house or residence, or your furnishings. Generally, households with less than $2,000 in resources may still get food stamps. If every member of your household gets TANF or SSI payments, the household automatically meets the resource requirements of eligibility for food stamps.

For households with an elderly (over age 60) or disabled member, income and resources are counted differently. For example, households with at least one elderly member may own up to $3,000 in resources and still be eligible for food stamps.

To apply for food stamps, visit your local DHHR office. It is important to bring as much information about your income, resources, and expenses with you to DHHR as possible. The more you can tell your caseworker, the more quickly your application can be processed.