Food stamp outreach is a priority for the Department and the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS). TAOs have been very successful in increasing Food Stamp Program (FSP) participation rates while keeping error rates low. In the last year FSP participation increased by 25%, while at the same time the error rate decreased by 25%.

The Department of Transitional Assistance and the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) have a mutual goal of increasing food stamp participation rates for eligible households while maintaining a low error rate. In the last year, Massachusetts’s food stamp participation rate has increased by 24 percent while the food stamp error rate has decreased by 50 percent which is a great achievement.

In an effort to improve the nutritional status of working families and to increase the amount of services available to them, the Department has developed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNA) program. SNA is a work incentive benefit provided to families in receipt of Non-Public Assistance (NPA) food stamps who meet SNA program requirements. A benefit of $7.00 a month will be issued in addition to the regular food stamp benefits for each month the family meets the eligibility criteria of the SNA program, or until the SNA program is terminated (see 106 CMR 705.250).   Effective May 01, 2008 approximately 14,000 households will begin receiving the SNA benefit. BEACON will automatically issue SNA benefits retroactive to October 2007 for each month the household was actively receiving NPA food stamps and met SNA program requirements.

Removes language that a Food Stamp benefit amount cannot equal $1, $3, or $5.

Explains procedures for processing new Food Stamp benefit amounts resulting from reported changes, specifically what case workers should do when increased benefits must be expedited.

Step-grandparent and TAFDC relationship requirement; proper way to close FS case for recipient moving out of state; reporting requirements for FS applicants with pending UI claims.

Food Stamps for college students:  household determination when students age 23 or over are living with parent; Food Stamp eligibility for student at college with meal plan for some meals;  students as paremts om two parent families and Food Stamp work requirement.

Entering FS information on Beacon; FS homeless shelter deduction.

Learnfare sanctions and effect on Food Stamps; effect of NAP receipt on FS.

Food Stamps transitional benefits allowance (TBA)-- what happens when TAFDC closed for not complying with work requirement; Food Stamps TBA for different TAFDC closing reasons; TBA FS for cases closed due to SSI;

FS: Quality Control and most frequent errors; missing pay stubs; DTA must act on notification of changed circumstances within 10 days; CIP's; preventing shelter and utility deduction errors; medical expense deduction and family health insurance plan.

Child support and FS (must be legally obligated to be deductible); Child support referrals to DOR at application stage for TAFDC; temporary absence and receipt of FS.

FS: children on SSI and FS Restaurant Program; outdated AFDC issues.

FS: no rent allowance when rent is paid in entirety by someone not in household; full unheated SUA even if bills are low; residents of dv shelters eligible for FS even if shelter provide meals;  calculation of FS for sanctioned teen; how to calculate period of ineligibility due to voluntary quit prior to application; EA: receipt of shelter in another state does not count as receipt of EA in past 12 months; TAFDC: time limit is counted in terms of calendar months not cyclical months.

TAFDC: temporary absence of child placed in foster care; EA: lump sum received prior to application; FS: eligibility of individual wearing prison bracelet.

All programs: treatment of irrevocable trusts; FS: eligibility of students over 18 who work during the summer; FS: verification  deadlines; DMA responsible for paying for transportation to medical appoinitments and methadone clinics; FS: effect of period of ineligibility  imposed by another state; FS: meal fees included in rent charge must be deducted for purposes of shelter deduction.

FS: Voluntary quit provision does not apply to applicants exempt from work requirement; undiverted FS must have issuance date not on Sunday or holiday; TAFDC: if no community service site available, excused from work requirement; TAFDC: teen parent living arrangement requirements satisfied when teen lives with any adult related to her or to the baby.