Previous Policy: Pursuant to provisions
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), 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, monthly net income
standards (100% of poverty), monthly gross income standards (130% of poverty),
and monthly 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: The Thrifty Food Plan
(TFP), which is developed by the USDA to estimate the cost of a healthy diet
across various price points, is used to determine the maximum SNAP allotments. The
USDA recently released a re-evaluation of the TFP and as a result the SNAP
maximum allotments have increased more than the standard annual cost-of-living
adjustment. The new SNAP maximum
allotments will be effective beginning October 1, 2021.
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, 2021: (a) the
standard deduction for AG sizes; (b) excess shelter deduction; (c) maximum
homeless shelter deduction; (d) the maximum resource standards; 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
$580
Limited Utility Allowance
$377
Single Standard Utility Allowance
$84
Single Telephone Allowance
$42
Standard Deduction
$177 for an AG size of 1 - 3 persons;
$184 for an AG size of 4 persons;
$215 for an AG size of 5 persons; and
$246 for an AG size of 6 or more persons
Maximum Excess Shelter Deduction
$597
Maximum Homeless Shelter Deduction
$159
Maximum Resource Limit
$2,500
Maximum Resource Limit for Households with at
Least One Aged or Disabled Member
$3,750
Maximum Food Assistance Allotments
| AG Size | Maximum Allotment |
| 1
| $250
|
| 2
| $459
|
| 3
| $658
|
| 4
| $835
|
| 5
| $992
|
| 6
| $1,190
|
| 7
| $1,316
|
| 8
| $1,504
|
| each additional
| +$188
|
| Minimum Allotment
| $20
|
Net Income Standards (100% of poverty)
|
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
|
1
|
$1,074
|
|
2
|
$1,452
|
|
3
|
$1,830
|
|
4
|
$2,209
|
|
5
|
$2,587
|
|
6
|
$2,965
|
|
7
|
$3,344
|
|
8
|
$3,722
|
|
each additional
|
+$379
|
Gross Income Standards (130% of poverty)
|
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
|
1
|
$1,396
|
|
2
|
$1,888
|
|
3
|
$2,379
|
|
4
|
$2,871
|
|
5
|
$3,363
|
|
6
|
$3,855
|
|
7
|
$4,347
|
|
8
|
$4,839
|
|
each additional
|
+$492
|
Separate AG Income Standards -- Elderly and
Disabled AGs Only (165% of poverty)
|
AG Size
|
Maximum Income
|
|
1
|
$1,771
|
|
2
|
$2,396
|
|
3
|
$3,020
|
|
4
|
$3,644
|
|
5
|
$4,268
|
|
6
|
$4,893
|
|
7
|
$5,517
|
|
8
|
$6,141
|
|
each additional
|
+$625
|
Implementation: The changes for the deductions and income
guidelines will be implemented in Ohio Benefits via a mass change beginning in
the evening on August 27th and will run through the morning of August 30th. 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.