1. SNAP CHALLENGE September 6, 2013 YOU MUST DIAL INTO THE WEBINAR BY PHONE TO HEAR THE PRESENTERS. Call the Dial-In Number : U.S. & Canada: 866.740.1260 Access Code: 5852800 Having Technical Difficulty? Chat with the Organizer for Assistance!

3. Presenters Chris Koehn Programs Field Representative for the Adult and Family Services of the OKDHS SNAP/LIHEAP Policy Section. Becca Walker SNAP Outreach and Senior Servings Coordinator Kim Goddard Broken Arrow Neighbors Executive Director Torri Christian Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for both Oklahoma food banks. Sara B. Amberg Manager of Agency Capacity Building

4. SNAP Demographics Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2011: In an average month in FY 2011, SNAP provided benefits to 44.7 million people living in about 21.1 million households. The average benefit per household was $284. The average benefit per person was $134.

5. SNAP Demographics Of the adults who received SNAP, 27.7% were working

6. SNAP Demographics SNAP Households FY 2011 ◦76% of households included a child, elderly person, or disabled person. These vulnerable households received 83% of all benefits ◦Average SNAP household income: ◦ $744 gross monthly income ◦ $338 net monthly income ◦Sources of income: 31% of households had earned income, 22% received Social Security income, 8% received TANF, and 6% received unemployment benefits

8. SNAP Participation In Oklahoma, about 75% of eligible people participate compared with 72% nationally. Participation rates are highest among families with children, and lowest among the elderly.

10. Administration FNS The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees SNAP at the Federal level through the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The federal government pays the full cost of SNAP benefits and shares the cost of administering the program with the states. OKDHS State agencies (OKDHS) are responsible for administering the program on the state and county level, determining eligibility according to federal guidelines and distributing benefits. County DHS offices County DHS offices process applications and conduct client interviews Administration

11. Eligibility Eligibility and benefit amount depend on the number of people in a household and the household’s combined income. Households must meet the following criteria to be eligible for SNAP: ◦Gross monthly income up to 130% of the poverty line ◦Net income up to 100% of the poverty line  Net income is income after standard deductions are applied for items such as housing costs and child care.  A household with at least one elderly or disabled individual only has to meet the net income test and not the gross income test Income includes benefits like social security, pension, unemployment benefits, veteran’s benefits, workers compensation, and TANF, among others.

12. Household size Gross monthly income (130 percent of poverty) Gross yearly income (130 percent of poverty) 1$1,211 $14,523 21,640 19,680 32,069 24,828 42,498 29,976 52,927 35,124 63,356 40,272 73,785 45,420 84,214 50,568 Each additional member+429

13. Eligibility Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for SNAP. According to FNS, about 4 percent of SNAP participants are noncitizens (legal permanent residents, refugees, asylees, etc) and another 3 percent are naturalized citizens. However, a child born in the United States is eligible for SNAP benefits even if other household members are not eligible because of their immigration status. Information given for a SNAP application will not impact a noncitizen’s immigration status.

14. Allotments Thrifty Food Plan: The allotment formula is based on the Thrifty Food Plan, a market- basket of food updated annually by the USDA representing the minimum amount a family could spend on groceries for a nutritionally adequate diet. Roughly, SNAP = TFP – 30% of household’s net income

16. EBT Cards Approved households receive an “Access Oklahoma” EBT card, which is loaded with benefits once a month. Benefits can be exchanged only at USDA-authorized food retailers (there are about 200,000 nationwide). SNAP cannot be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco, hot or prepared foods, vitamins or medicine, or non-food grocery items such as household supplies and personal care items. With the introduction of EBT cards, the USDA is better able to track and deter fraud. The national rate of SNAP card misuse or trafficking declined from 3.8 cents per dollar in 1993 to about 1 cent per dollar in the most recent analysis from 2006-2008.

17. OKDHS Application Process “ New Applicants” A “new applicant” is anyone who is not currently receiving SNAP, even if they have received SNAP sometime in the past. ◦Applicants who have never had an OKDHS case number must turn in a paper application, called the Request for Benefits form (PS-1), to a county DHS office in person, by fax, or by mail. ◦Applicants who have had an OKDHS case number sometime in the past can either apply online at OKDHSLive.org or turn in a paper application. The day the application is received in the DHS office is the client’s application date. OKDHS will make an eligibility decision within 30 days of that date. Clients can apply at any office of their choosing.

18. OKDHS Application Process Once the application (paper or online) has been submitted, DHS schedules an interview with the applicant and verifies documents about his or her household and income. After all verification has been provided, DHS determines the applicant’s eligibility. Application (paper or online) Interview Verification Documents

19. Here is What the “Request for Benefits” Form Looks Like

20. Renewal SNAP recipients must apply to renew their benefits every 6 months (or every 12 months in households where all members are elderly or disabled and there is no earned income). A renewal requires updated verification of the household’s income and expenses. A month before the renewal is due, the household gets a renewal notice in the mail. They can initiate the renewal online, at a DHS office, or with a paper application. If a household does not renew their benefits in time, they will have to apply again as a new applicant

21. What the Renewal Notice Looks Like

22. Home Page of OKDHS-Live

23. Other Information Expedited Applications: processed within 7 days ◦Households with less than $150 gross monthly income and liquid resources (checking, savings account balances, cash on hand, etc.) less than $100. ◦Households with monthly rent or mortgage and/or utilities which cost more than the combined monthly gross income and liquid resources Emergency SNAP: In “emergency” cases, DHS can give a household SNAP temporarily (1-2 months) to allow them more time to collect verification documents. Emergency benefits will expire after the allotted time if the household does not provide the required verification.

24. Other Information Household Composition Rules Individuals who are married and living together must be included on the same SNAP case. Individuals living together who purchase and prepare their food together must be included on the same SNAP case. Children under age 22 living with their natural, adoptive, or step-parents must be included on the same SNAP case as their parents.

25. Other Information It is possible for individuals to be under the income standard for SNAP and still not be eligible for the program. For instance, the individual may not meet citizenship criteria, or they may have a current SNAP disqualification. Or, they may be a student who has to meet additional eligibility criteria. In addition, for households with at least one elderly or disabled household member, our computer system determines eligibility based on net income, rather than gross.

26. SNAP Outreach The goal of SNAP Outreach is to inform eligible clients about SNAP and help them start the application process if needed. Many families seeking assistance at food pantries are in need of more than emergency food assistance. By connecting eligible people with SNAP, we can help provide more meals to the communities we serve.

27. SNAP Outreach We began the pilot in March 2013 with 4 sites in Tulsa county at Owasso Community Resources, Sand Springs Community Services, Broken Arrow Neighbors, and A Third Place in Turley The main components of outreach are: ◦Answer general questions about SNAP eligibility and the application process ◦Inform SNAP recipients about using the OKDHS-Live website for renewals ◦Assist new applicants with the SNAP application ◦Distribute other helpful handouts: detailed information about the SNAP interview and documents that may be required, referral to free CNEP nutrition classes, and a list of farmers’ markets that accept SNAP EBT cards

28. Broken Arrow Neighbors Brief introduction to Broken Arrow Neighbors with Executive Director Kim Goddard.

29. Why and How of SNAP Outreach at Broken Arrow Neighbors

30. Nutrition Programs: Fast Facts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Supplements the food budgets of low-income households with monthly benefits in the form of an electronic benefit (EBT) card for use at authorized retail stores. SNAP serves households with incomes up to 130% of the federal poverty line. Funding: $947,199,555 People Served: 614,947 Percent Households With: Children: 49.5% Elderly: 15.1% Disabled: 21.7% Average Monthly Benefit: $128.36 per person Average Per Meal Benefit: $1.43 per person Payment Accuracy Rate: 96.10% (including underpayments) The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides food for distribution through qualifying emergency feeding organizations like food banks, pantries, kitchens, and shelters. Food and funds are allocated to states using a formula based on poverty and unemployment. Funding: $4,158,591 in food commodities & $514,252 for storage and distribution Change in TEFAP Deliveries: 36.2% decline from 2010 to 2012

31. Farm Bill Timeline June 10, 2013: Farm Bill Passed in Senate June 20: House fails to pass Farm Bill July 9: House GOP tries to split Farm Bill September 30: Current Farm Bill expires © 2010 Feeding America Cut SNAP by $4.1 B; Increased TEFAP by $54 M

32. Farm Bill Failure of June/July House votes leave legislation in limbo © 2010 Feeding America Option 1: Split Farm Bill Passes House GOP splits Farm Bill, passes Farm and Nutrition titles separately Separate bills are conferenced with Senate bill Option 2: Split Farm Bill Fails House GOP fails to pass Farm only bill Whether Nutrition only bill passes or not, would be difficult to conference the two approaches if one title is missing from House Option 3: Paralysis House does not have enough votes to pass Farm only bill and pulls the bill Congress could let current authorization expire Sept 30 Legislation could be included in an Oct/Nov bargain on deficit reduction and raising the debt limit

33. Message Points Need remains high despite improved economy and SNAP spending will go down on its own as need declines Charity can’t do it alone; highlight impact of cuts to SNAP on your organization, low-income families, as well as the need for more TEFAP SNAP is targeted at most vulnerable; most benefits go to kids, seniors, disabled and benefits are not generous 83% of all benefits got to kids, seniors, disabled Av benefit is less than $1.50 per meal per person Benefits for all SNAP beneficiaries will already go down Nov. 1 Cuts are not about closing loopholes - they will take food from the refrigerators and pantries of struggling families

34. Questions? Contact Information: Torri Christian Advocacy and Public Policy Community Food Bank of Eastern OK (405) 600-3129 tchristian@regionalfoodbank.org Feeding America: Brett Weisel Director of Advocacy (312)-641-6554 bweisel@feedingamerica.org Contact your Congressman! 1-866-527-1087

35. What is a SNAP Challenge?