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FoodShare Benefits for Blind or Disabled Wisconsinites

Posted by John Stuligross in on Mar 1, 2016 Tagged:

FoodShare is an important program for many of our friends and neighbors in Wisconsin. Eligible households can supplement their budget with monthly deposits into their FoodShare account to purchase groceries. The program is especially beneficial for the 23% of FoodShare recipients that are elderly, blind or disabled. However, applying for and receiving FoodShare can be a confusing process.

In order to be considered disabled or blind for the FoodShare program, the applicant must receive disability or blindness benefits from one of these programs:

• Social Security Administration, Medical Assistance, SSI, or SSI related Medical Assistance, Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
• Receives a Veteran’s Affairs payment
• Receives a disability retirement benefit from a governmental agency because of a disability considered permanent under section 221(i) of the Social Security Act (Social Security Act requirements of disabled).

Most households cannot have income greater than 200% of the federal poverty level. However, under the regular SNAP rules, households that include a blind or disabled person have no gross income limit, but must have net income that does not exceed 100% FPL and countable assets that do not exceed $3250. In other words, if a household has an elderly or blind individual and applies for FoodShare, and their gross income is above 200%, their net income and assets would also be considered before determining final eligibility.

In general, all types of income are considered in the income test including Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance, pensions, and any job-related income.

If a blind or disabled FoodShare recipient has monthly medical expenses greater than $35, then those expenses may be deducted from their gross income. This deduction may allow for an increase in FoodShare dollars for the recipient. In many cases, medical bills and payments are allowable, excluding nursing home care and bills covered by medical insurance. While most FoodShare recipients are required to report changes in their status (income, household size, address, and legal obligations toward child support) by the 10th of the following month, blind and disabled FoodShare recipients are required to report such changes within ten days of the change.

For more information on requirements, policies, and procedures for blind or disabled clients, check out the FoodShare Handbook.

We also encourage you to share our FoodShare Helpline phone number with anybody that is interested in learning more about the program! Our Specialists are just a phone call away: 1-877-366-3635