Newly-improved food stamp program unveiled

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

New changes to the Food Stamp Program will take effect today. The changes will make more families eligible for benefits and increase the amount each family can receive per month.

The Food Stamp Program is now being called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). At a press conference today, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon teamed up with Smith's Food and Drug, The Utah Department of Workforce Service and Utahns Against Hunger to announce the several new policies that will take effect today as a result of the Farm Bill that was passed in Congress earlier this year.

Those changes are:

- Minimum monthly benefit increased to $14 and will be indexed to inflation. - Minimum standard deduction increased to $144 and will also be indexed to inflation. - Retirement and education accounts are no longer considered countable resources. - All dependent care costs, for example, child care and care for elderly or disabled household members, are now considered when determining eligibility and benefit amounts.

Gina Cornia, with Utahns Against Hunger, said, "Folks who have applied in the recent past, who may not have been eligible, should come in and apply again because things like increasing the standard deduction, raising the asset test and then the depended child care deduction, all three of those things could have a significant impact on the number of folks who are eligible for those deductions."

Newly-improved food stamp program unveiled

As a result of the current economy, food costs have gone up by 10 percent during the past six months.

In a statement, Mayor Corroon said, "We want people in the county to understand that help is available. With so many families struggling, we all should be telling our less fortunate neighbors about these federal funds that might be available for them and their children."

In Utah, an estimated $120 million in federal food stamp program funds go unclaimed every year. With these new changes, advocates of the program are hoping families will take advantage and apply.

"The Food Stamp program is not welfare, it is a nutrition assistance program," said Utah Department of Workforce Services spokesman Curt Stewart. "People who apply to the program will also benefit from out employment and training services. Hopefully, this will help people get back at work."

Current clients will not need to fill out extra paperwork as a result of the program name change. Children automatically qualify for free school breakfast and lunch when they receive SNAP benefits.

To find out more about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program click on the related links or go to one of the following locations:

- The Horizonte Training Center, 1234 S. Main, Salt Lake City - Odyssey House, 346 E 100 S, Salt Lake City - Road Home, 210 Rio Grande St., Salt Lake City - SLCC South Campus Skills Center, 1575 S State Street, SLC - Salt Lake City Library, 210 E. 400 S., SLC - Heritage Senior Activity Center, 10 E 6150 S, Murray - St. Ann's Homeless Shelter, 137 W. Binford St., Ogden - Catholic Community Center, 2504 F. Ave, Ogden - Ogden Weber Community Action Partnership, 3159 Grant Ave, Ogden - Tremonton City Library, 210 N. Tremont Street, Tremonton - Cedar City Senior Library, 303 N 100 E, Cedar City - Iron County Care and Share, 140 E 400 S, Cedar City - Redwood Community Action Program, 3060 S. Lester St. West Valley City - Davis County Food Bank, 1449 N. Angel St. (1200 West) #6, Layton

E-mail: spark@ksl.com