The food stamp program provides food assistance to U.S. residents with income lower than the federal poverty level and few assets. According to American Community Survey estimates, 18.5 percent of families and 21.7 percent of individuals in Greeneville, Tennessee fall below the poverty line as of 2009. Statistics compiled by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) show the State of Tennessee distributed $1,672,743 in benefits to 19,330 Greene County residents for the month of November 2010.
Employment
According to Gina Lodge, commissioner of the Tennessee DHS, all Greeneville residents between the ages of 16 and 59 must have employment for at least 80 hours a month to qualify for food stamp benefits. The unemployed must enroll in a local employment and training program in order to receive benefits for more than five months in a three-year period. Greeneville students must work at least 20 hours a week or participate in a federal work study program in order to receive benefits. Persons with dependents, the disabled and the elderly do not have benefit restrictions if unemployed for an extended period of time.
Limits
Greeneville residents must meet income limits in order to qualify for the Tennessee food stamp program. As of January 2011, federal guidelines restrict benefits to individuals who earn less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) in gross income and 100 percent of the FPL in net income. Individuals may not earn more than $903 per month after taking a standard deduction of $142, a 20 percent deduction for earned income, child support and medical expenses for the disabled and elderly. Healthy individuals under the age of 60 must not exceed gross monthly income of $1,174. Each additional member of a family adds $406 to the base amount of gross monthly income and $312 to net monthly income. The Tennessee DHS counts all sources of income toward income limits, except for scholarships, grants, heating assistance and loans.
Asset Test
Greeneville food stamp applicants may not have more than $2,000 in cash on hand; this includes money in certificates of deposit, stocks, checking accounts and bonds. The disabled and elderly can apply for the program if they have up to $3,000 in assets. The state of Tennessee does not count residences, vehicles and personal items toward asset limits in most cases.
Application
All Greeneville food stamp applicants must provide a Social Security number for each member of their household to prove citizenship status, and they must provide proof of income and assets to the DHS upon request. Residents of Greene County, Tennessee can apply for food stamps at their local DHS office: 128 Serral Drive, Greeneville, TN 37745-3074. Or they can submit an application on the DHS website. Applicants may contact the Greenville DHS at (423) 639-6181 for directions, questions about eligibility and application status. After an eligible resident submits an application, the Greeneville DHS office will provide him with food stamp benefits within 45 days.
Tags: food stamp, disabled elderly, monthly income, more than, federal poverty
