Previous Policy: Pursuant to provisions
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, the United States Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provides States with annual cost-of-living
adjustments (COLA) for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP). The standard utility allowance,
limited utility allowance, single standard utility allowance, single standard
telephone allowance, excess shelter deduction, maximum monthly SNAP allotments,
net income standards (100% of poverty), gross income standards (130% of
poverty), and separate assistance group standards for elderly and disabled
assistance groups only (165% of poverty) are all subject to change based on the
annual adjustments the State receives from FNS.
New policy: For federal fiscal year 2019,
which begins on October 1, 2018, FNS has determined that the maximum monthly
allotments will increase. Additionally, the deduction amounts and income
guidelines have been adjusted and are listed below. Except for the telephone allowance, which has
stayed the same, all of the utility allowances have increased. The following
deductions are increasing effective October 1, 2018: (a) the standard
deduction; (b) excess shelter deduction; and (c) the gross income standard, net
income standard, and separate assistance group standards for elderly and disabled
assistance groups eligibility standards. The homeless shelter deduction is unchanged.
Standard Utility Allowance
$544
Limited Utility Allowance
$351
Single Standard Utility Allowance
$78
Single Telephone Allowance
$39
Standard Deduction
$164 for an AG size of 1 - 3 persons;
$174 for an AG size of 4 persons; and
$204 for an AG size of 5 persons; and
$234 for an AG size of 6 or more persons
Maximum Excess Shelter Deduction
$552
Maximum Food Assistance Allotments
AG Size
|
Maximum Allotment
|
1
|
$192
|
2
|
$353
|
3
|
$505
|
4
|
$642
|
5
|
$762
|
6
|
$914
|
7
|
$1011
|
8
|
$1155
|
each additional
|
+$144
|
Minimum Allotment
|
$15
|
Net Income Standards (100% of poverty)
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
1
|
$1012
|
2
|
$1372
|
3
|
$1732
|
4
|
$2092
|
5
|
$2452
|
6
|
$2812
|
7
|
$3172
|
8
|
$3532
|
each additional
|
+$360
|
Gross Income Standards (130% of poverty)
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
1
|
$1316
|
2
|
$1784
|
3
|
$2252
|
4
|
$2720
|
5
|
$3188
|
6
|
$3656
|
7
|
$4124
|
8
|
$4592
|
each additional
|
+$468
|
Separate AG Income Standards -- Elderly and
Disabled AGs Only (165% of poverty)
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
1
|
$1670
|
2
|
$2264
|
3
|
$2858
|
4
|
$3452
|
5
|
$4046
|
6
|
$4640
|
7
|
$5234
|
8
|
$5828
|
each additional
|
+$594
|
Implementation: The changes for the
deductions and income guidelines will be implemented via a mass change in Ohio
Benefits. An exception report will be
created for all cases which Ohio Benefits cannot update automatically. The eligibility worker will be required to run
the Eligibility Determination/Benefit Calculation (ED/BC), then save and accept
the results for those cases to implement these changes. Each assistance group affected by this change
will receive a notice with the new amount of benefits they will receive.