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, resource standards, 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 2020,
which begins on October 1, 2019, 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 decreased,
all of the utility allowances have increased. The following amounts are increasing
effective October 1, 2019: (a) the standard deduction; (b) excess shelter deduction;
(c) maximum homeless shelter deduction; (d) resource limit for households where
at least one person is age 60 or older or is disabled; and (e) the gross income
standard, net income standard, and separate assistance group standards for elderly
and disabled assistance groups eligibility standards.
Standard Utility Allowance
$548
Limited Utility Allowance
$355
Single Standard Utility Allowance
$79
Single Telephone Allowance
$38
Standard Deduction
$167 for an AG size of 1 - 3 persons;
$178 for an AG size of 4 persons;
$209 for an AG size of 5 persons; and
$240 for an AG size of 6 or more persons
Maximum Excess Shelter Deduction
$569
Maximum Homeless Shelter Deduction
$152
Maximum Resource Limit
$2,250
Maximum Resource Limit for Households with at
Least
One Aged or Disabled Member
$3,500
Maximum Food Assistance Allotments
AG Size
|
Maximum Allotment
|
1
|
$194
|
2
|
$355
|
3
|
$509
|
4
|
$646
|
5
|
$768
|
6
|
$921
|
7
|
$1,018
|
8
|
$1,164
|
each additional
|
+$146
|
Minimum Allotment
|
$16
|
Net Income Standards (100% of poverty)
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
1
|
$1,041
|
2
|
$1,410
|
3
|
$1,778
|
4
|
$2,146
|
5
|
$2,515
|
6
|
$2,883
|
7
|
$3,251
|
8
|
$3,620
|
each additional
|
+$369
|
Gross Income Standards (130% of poverty)
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
1
|
$1,354
|
2
|
$1,832
|
3
|
$2,311
|
4
|
$2,790
|
5
|
$3,269
|
6
|
$3,748
|
7
|
$4,227
|
8
|
$4,705
|
each additional
|
+$479
|
Separate AG Income Standards -- Elderly and
Disabled AGs Only (165% of poverty)
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
1
|
$1,718
|
2
|
$2,326
|
3
|
$2,933
|
4
|
$3,541
|
5
|
$4,149
|
6
|
$4,757
|
7
|
$5,364
|
8
|
$5,972
|
each additional
|
+$608
|
Implementation: The
changes for the deductions and income guidelines will be implemented in Ohio Benefits
via a mass change beginning August 30th and will run through September 2nd. 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.