SNAP Policy Updates: Medical Expense Deduction, new SNAP Calculation Notices; Shelter Deduction Increase Oct 1st; Expunged benefits returned

Greetings and welcome to September The following email is to give you some brief updates on recent SNAP policy items of interest.

1) SNAP and Medical Expense Deduction:

In its August 2015 Transitions Magazine, DTA included a number of Policy Hotline questions and answers for DTA staff.  Remember, SNAP recipients age 60 and older or who are disabled (including children) can claim out-of-pocket medical expenses that are paid or incurred.  Medical expenses that exceed $35/mo can trigger a "standard medical expense deduction" of $155/mo. And if the household's medical expenses exceed $190 ($35 plus $155), the actual monthly cost can also be claimed.  Included in the Hotline Q&A are the following:

• The SNAP recipient does NOT need a prescription from an MD to claim over the counter medications, medical supplies or equipment. Only copies of receipts or bills showing the amount of the cost are required.
• Medical expenses do NOT need to be re-verified at recertification if there is NO change, or if the change reported does not exceed $190 ($35 plus $155).  
• Allowable medical expenses include a wide range of health care items beyond MD bills, hospital bills etc. They can include vitamins, foot and dental care products, incontinence supplies. batteries for hearing aids, mileage (at the federal mileage rate) for private car travel, cost for service animals and attendant care. 
• DTA workers are encouraged to ask clients if they are struggling with high unpaid medical expenses. Medical expenses owed but not yet paid can also be claimed.  

For more on SNAP medical expenses, including a copy of the August Transitions, click HERE.

2) SNAP Benefits to Stay the Same in October, but SNAP Shelter Deduction Amount will Increase:

USDA recently issued its Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) notice for Federal Fiscal Year 2016 SNAP benefits. The COLA information is posted on the FNS website HERE.  

Typically there is a slight SNAP COLA in October of each year, but for this current fiscal year maximum SNAP benefit amounts  will stay the same. However, there will be a slight increase in the dollar value of the SNAP shelter deduction--from  $490 to $504 per month (e.g. shelter costs that exceed 50% of net income, then capped at $504/mo).  This shelter deduction increase will only impact SNAP households that do not contain a senior or person with disabilities, since elder and disabled households can claim uncapped shelter costs that exceed 50% of net income.   

There may be a slight decrease in the "Standard Utility Allowance" (SUA) dollar value due to a decline in utility costs in the consumer price index (CPI). We do not have that information yet. Because of this, some SNAP households may experience a very small decline in their SNAP benefits if the combination of their shelter costs plus the SUA does not reach the cap on the shelter deduction or maximum benefits.  

3) DTA Revises SNAP Calculation Notices to Give MORE Information to SNAP Recipients:

DTA has recently revised the SNAP calculation notice to give households MORE information about their benefits including:

• The name of each household member that DTA has on record as receiving SNAP and the persons living there not eligible (for example, undocumented immigrants, certain college students who do not meet an exemption).  
• The actual amount and source of income that DTA is counting for each household member - both earned and unearned income.
• The actual shelter costs claimed, dependent care, medical expenses allowed for seniors or persons with disabilities, etc. 

Attached is a sample copy of the notice from DTA's Online Guide (it may not look exactly like this, but it should look similar). 

Your clients typically get SNAP calculation notices when they are approved for SNAP, at recertification approval or when there is a change in the monthly benefits.  These notices are helpful so that clients know if they should report errors, such a person living at home who is not on the SNAP grant, or ask DTA about income that should not be listed.  

NOTE: The past year of DTA notices--including SNAP calculation notices--are available on the client's My Account Page.  If your client does not have a My Account Page, it is very helpful to work with them to set one up.  This helps the client and advocate/helping agency to review the notices sent and report any errors to DTA.  For more information on how to set up a My Account Page, click on our MAP help page here. 

4)  DTA to Return Erroneously "Expunged" SNAP Benefits:

In March of 2015, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional Office issued a report regarding a range of EBT issuance issues, including DTA's erroneous policy of taking back or "expunging" SNAP benefits.  In February of 2014, started DTA expunging (removing) "unused" SNAP benefits if SNAP recipients were not using their SNAP benefits quickly enough. MLRI, GBLS and other organizations flagged numerous problems with FNS and questioned the prior Administration's practices since federal SNAP law clearly states that SNAP can only be expunged when an EBT account was inactive for 365 consecutive days.7 CFR 274.2(h)(2). FNS agreed and instructed DTA that they can only "expunge benefits if there has been no EBT account activity for 365 days and the EBT benefit in the account is 365 days old or older." This also means, that the earliest "first in" benefits put on the EBT card should be the "first out" when spent - FIFO !  If you have clients whose SNAP benefits were expunged in 2014 and have not gotten them back, let us know.  

How do SNAP recipients end up with unused EBT benefits?  Some SNAP recipients who receive a small EBT benefit - for example the $16/mo minimum - may hang onto the SNAP benefits for a large shop (these are typically not high balances). Other SNAP recipients may be elderly or disabled and need assistance food shopping, or they may have lost their EBT card or forgotten the PIN. Large EBT balances do not mean the individual does not need a SNAP benefit but may in fact be a "cry for help". Click on this link for a flier we prepared in August of 2014 on how to advise seniors and persons with disabilities threatened with "off line" and expunged benefits. We will up date this as soon as possible but it has some handy tips if you heave clients struggling with use of the benefits. 

The SNAP Elder Working group is working with DTA and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) to identify systemic solutions for SNAP recipients who have high EBT balances, including asking the household if they lost their EBT card or forgot their PIN, offering Council on Aging transportation to stores, suggesting a trusted friend or neighbor become an "authorized representative" to get an EBT card to help food shop.  These can be issues for both seniors and younger persons with disabilities. Other households may apply for SNAP and get approved - but never get an EBT card in the mail, assuming DTA decided afterall they were not eligible. Helping SNAP clients successfully access their benefits is a critical part of SNAP advocacy! 

REMINDER:  September SNAP Coalition Meetings: Western MA - September 18th (Food Bank of Western MA in Hatfield); Boston - September 22nd (St Francis House, Boston)