Author: Geoffrey Brown
Are you looking for a way to make your SNAP/food stamp benefits last longer? If so, you’re among the millions of American looking to get more food stamps and maximize their SNAP benefits. Today, we will be reviewing the tactics you can use to maximize your SNAP benefits.
What is SNAP?
Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to aid millions of low-income to no-income Americans to purchase food and live a standard life.
The Thrifty Food Plan used to calculate SNAP benefits was reevaluated by the US government, which concluded that a 21% increase was required. This reevaluation increased the amount of SNAP benefits per person.
But how can you maximize these increased benefits? Let’s find out!
How To Maximize SNAP/Food Stamp Benefits?
Below are a few tips you can use to legally maximize your SNAP benefits:
Add Your Deductions
Every food stamp receiving household automatically collets the standard deduction, but many American fail to maximize their benefits from other deductions.
Below are a few other deductions that can help increase your SNAP/food stamp benefits:
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Earning deduction
A person who earns money from a job automatically receives the earning deduction. This type of deduction is made to compensate people for work-related expenses. So if you’ve got a job since your last report to the food stamps office, you should contact them to start receiving the earnings deduction.
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Medical Expense Deduction
Disabled or old (60+ years) members of your household who spend over $35/month in medical costs are eligible for the medical expense deduction.
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Child Support Deduction
You or any member of your household who pays child support is eligible for the child support deduction.
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Excess Shelter Deduction
Do your shelter expenses exceed more than 50% of your income?
If the answer is yes, then you’re eligible to claim over $500 in shelter deduction.
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Homeless Shelter Deduction
People who are homeless or temporarily lodging with a friend (couch surfing) can apply for the homeless shelter deduction. SNAP considers homeless people to “lack a regular nighttime residence.” Some states even provide extra SNAP benefits for homeless people.
Report Any Decrease In Income
People’s income often fluctuates, but many people don’t report this to the food stamps office. You can receive significantly more food stamps if your income has reduced since your last report.
Clarify Household Members
The SNAP program describes a household as a group of people living, purchasing, and sharing food/shelters. This include unrelated people sharing the same apartment, like college students with roommates or tenants living in the apartment. Sometimes people living in a shared space don’t clarify this information with the food stamps office, which significantly affects their benefits.
Buy Food From Farmers’ Market
Many farmers’ markets across America have programs like Double Dollars or Double Your Food Bucks, which are great for SNAP members to get double-size the food they buy.
Be A Smart Shopper
- Make A Budget And Shopping List: Making a budget and shopping list before you go shopping can help to avoid overspending.
- Buy in Bulk: Buying items in bulk can save you money on food stamps and benefits. Many supermarkets and stores offer discounts when customers buy in bulk.
- Find Cheaper Alternatives: Sometimes you can find brands that offer the same quality and quantity of food for less the price than their competitors.
Final Thoughts
For many people, SNAP and food stamp benefits help provide nutrition and take care of excessive shelter and medical bills. To make these benefits last longer, ensure you plan and declare your condition to the Stamp office.