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 2021,
which begins on October 1, 2020, FNS has determined that the maximum monthly
allotments will increase. Additionally, the deduction amounts and income
guidelines have been adjusted and are listed below. All the utility allowances
have increased. The following amounts are increasing effective October 1, 2020:
(a) the standard deduction for AG size greater than 3 people; (b) excess
shelter deduction; (c) maximum homeless shelter deduction; and (d) the gross
income standard, net income standard, and separate assistance group standards
for elderly and disabled assistance groups eligibility standards. The resource standards remain unchanged.
|
Standard Utility Allowance
|
|
$553
|
|
Limited Utility Allowance
|
|
$362
|
|
Single Standard Utility Allowance
|
|
$80
|
|
Single Telephone Allowance
|
|
$40
|
|
Standard Deduction
|
|
$167 for an AG size of 1 - 3 persons;
|
|
$181 for an AG size of 4 persons;
|
|
$212 for an AG size of 5 persons; and
|
|
$243 for an AG size of 6 or more persons
|
|
Maximum Excess Shelter Deduction
|
|
$586
|
|
Maximum Homeless Shelter Deduction
|
|
$156
|
|
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 Income
|
|
1
|
$204
|
|
2
|
$374
|
|
3
|
$535
|
|
4
|
$680
|
|
5
|
$807
|
|
6
|
$969
|
|
7
|
$1071
|
|
8
|
$1224
|
|
each additional
|
+$153
|
|
Minimum Allotment
|
$16
|
Net Income Standards (100% of poverty)
|
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
|
1
|
$1,064
|
|
2
|
$1,437
|
|
3
|
$1,810
|
|
4
|
$2,184
|
|
5
|
$2,557
|
|
6
|
$2,930
|
|
7
|
$3,304
|
|
8
|
$3,667
|
|
each additional
|
+$374
|
Gross Income Standards (130% of poverty)
|
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
|
1
|
$1,383
|
|
2
|
$1,868
|
|
3
|
$2,353
|
|
4
|
$2,839
|
|
5
|
$3,324
|
|
6
|
$3,809
|
|
7
|
$4,295
|
|
8
|
$4,780
|
|
each additional
|
+$486
|
Separate AG Income Standards -- Elderly and
Disabled AGs Only (165% of poverty)
|
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
|
1
|
$1,755
|
|
2
|
$2,371
|
|
3
|
$2,987
|
|
4
|
$3,603
|
|
5
|
$4,219
|
|
6
|
$4,835
|
|
7
|
$5,451
|
|
8
|
$6,067
|
|
each additional
|
+$616
|
Implementation:
The changes for the deductions and income guidelines will be implemented in
Ohio Benefits via a mass change beginning August 21st and will run through
August 27th. 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.