The Research Packet For THE SNAP TASK FORCE. Meeting of February 2019

Transcription

1 The Research Packet For THE SNAP TASK FORCE Meeting of February 2019 Prepared by the staff of Food Bank For New York City 39 Broadway, 10th Fl. New York NY Tel: Fax:

2 SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) TASK FORCE Contents I. United States Department of Agriculture...3 Proposed Rule: SNAP Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents...3 Secretary Perdue Statement on President Trump s Signing of Appropriations Bill & Declaration of National Emergency...3 II. New York State Office of Temporary and Disablility Assistance...4 All Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients to Receive Benefits by March Caseload Statistics December Exemption from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Work Requirements for Individuals who are a Regular Participant in a Drug or Alcohol Treatment Program Home Energy Assistance Program Second Emergency Benefit and Revised Component Closing Dates...6 Partial Federal Government Shutdown and Emergency Food Replacement...7 III. New York City Human Resources Administation...8 HRA Bulletin March SNAP Benefits Early Disbursement...8 POLICY BULLETIN #19-02-ELI - PARTIAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND ITS IMPACT ON SNAP BENEFITS - January 16, POLICY BULLETIN #19-03-ELI - CASH ASSISTANCE AND SNAP POLICIES REGARDING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY THE PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN - January 24, IV. Reports, News and Notable Items...10 In the Shadow of the Shutdown: NYC s Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens Rise Up to Serve on Razor Thin Margins Food Bank For New York City...10 Many SNAP Households Will Experience Long Gap Between Monthly Benefits Despite End of Shutdown Center on Budget and Policy Priorities...12 Page 2

3 I. United States Department of Agriculture Proposed Rule: SNAP Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents Federal law generally limits the amount of time an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) can receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to 3 months in a 36-month period, unless the individual meets certain work requirements. On the request of a State SNAP agency, the law also gives the Department of Agriculture (the Department) the authority to temporarily waive the time limit in areas that have an unemployment rate of over 10 percent or a lack of sufficient jobs. The law also provides State agencies with a limited number of percentage exemptions that can be used by States to extend SNAP eligibility for ABAWDs subject to the time limit. The Department proposes to amend the regulatory standards by which the Department evaluates State SNAP agency requests to waive the time limit and to end the unlimited carryover of ABAWD percentage exemptions. The proposed rule would encourage broader application of the statutory ABAWD work requirement, consistent with the Administration's focus on fostering self-sufficiency. The Department seeks comments from the public on the proposed regulations. Secretary Perdue Statement on President Trump s Signing of Appropriations Bill & Declaration of National Emergency I am pleased that Congress has passed, and President Trump has signed, funding for USDA for the remainder of Fiscal Year We will be moving at full speed on all of our responsibilities, making good on our motto by doing right and feeding everyone. Page 3

4 II. New York State Office of Temporary and Disablility Assistance All Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients to Receive Benefits by March 7 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients will receive next month's benefits no later than March 7 - approximately one week earlier than scheduled. The early release is intended to ease the burden on recipients that have been forced to stretch February's benefits for more than six weeks because of the recent unprecedented shutdown of the federal government. At the Governor's direction, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is issuing March benefits earlier than usual for most recipients to mitigate the hardships caused by the so-called "SNAP gap." This means many New Yorkers will see next month's benefits appear approximately a week earlier than their normal schedule. About 2.7 million individuals and 1.5 million households rely on SNAP benefits to make ends meet. In December alone, New York State issued more than $374 million to help New Yorkers avoid food insecurity. The federal government directed states to issue SNAP benefits on Jan. 17 due to the government shutdown. Approximately 1.4 million households received their February benefits three weeks earlier than normal, to ensure sufficient funding was available. The regular benefits schedule for March was restored after the federal government reopened, causing some New Yorkers - especially those in New York City - to not see benefits until mid to late March. Caseload Statistics December Page 4

5 Exemption from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Work Requirements for Individuals who are a Regular Participant in a Drug or Alcohol Treatment Program. The purpose of this GIS is to provide social services districts (districts) with policy clarification on the exemption from SNAP work requirements for individuals who are regular participants in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program. Federal regulations at 7 CFR 273.7(b)(vi) state a regular participant in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program is exempt from the general SNAP work provisions. The federal regulations do not require an additional assessment as to whether or not the individual who is a regular participant in drug or alcohol treatment is fit for work. Districts must consider all SNAP recipients who are regularly participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program as exempt from SNAP work registration, (SNAP employability code 63, exempt) and exempt from the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limit, (ABAWD code N, non-abawd). There is no minimum weekly amount of time that a person must be attending treatment. Individuals who attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), but do not attend a drug or alcohol treatment program, do not fall under this exemption. Individuals who are concurrently receiving Temporary Assistance (TA) and SNAP, and are nonexempt from TA work requirements and assigned TA employability code 64, substance abuser (determine able to work), would still be subject to TA work requirements, unless determined exempt from TA work requirements in accordance with 18 NYCRR Page 5

6 Home Energy Assistance Program Second Emergency Benefit and Revised Component Closing Dates A second HEAP Emergency benefit for heat and heat-related emergencies will be available effective February 19, First and second Emergency benefits must not be coupled, and must be issued separately. Eligibility criteria for the second Emergency benefit will be the same as the first Emergency benefit. Applicants must have exhausted, or have unavailable to them, both the Regular benefit and the first Emergency benefit to be eligible for the second Emergency benefit. Applicants must apply in their county of residence by phone or in person, and may be eligible for income deeming based on their most recently filed HEAP Application (LDSS3421). Districts must continue to use the Emergency Benefit Budget Worksheet (LDSS3594B) and it must be marked Second Emergency Benefit on the top. Households must meet resource eligibility requirements. The second Emergency benefit amounts are the same as the first Emergency amounts and are as follows: Page 6

7 Partial Federal Government Shutdown and Emergency Food Replacement The purpose of this GIS is to provide guidance to social services districts (districts) on meeting emergency/immediate food needs through Temporary Assistance (TA). Due to the partial federal government shut down there is a possibility that districts may receive a substantial number of requests for food assistance from affected households. For more information on the potential loss of SNAP benefits see GIS 19 TA/DC002, 19 TA/DC003, 19 TA/DC005, 19 TA/DC006, 19 TA/DC008, 19 TA/DC009, 19 TA/DC010 and 19 TA/DC012. A household that is otherwise eligible may receive TA to meet their emergency/ immediate food needs. The emergency/immediate food needs of applicants for on-going or emergency TA may be met through Emergency Assistance to needy Families (EAF) or Emergency Safety Net Assistance (ESNA). The applicant household must meet all other eligibility factors as specified in the Temporary Assistance Source Book (chapter 10, section I for ESNA or chapter 11, section C for EAF.) The emergency/immediate food needs of TA recipients must be met with an advance allowance. Districts may issue an advance allowance to a recipient of Family Assistance (FA) or Safety Net Assistance (SNA) only when the recipient makes the request in writing and agrees to the recoupment of the advance allowance in writing. The amount of assistance that can be granted as either EAF, ESNA or as an advance allowance is a prorated portion (for the number of eligible days) of the total amount comprised of the Basic allowance, Home Energy Allowance (HEA) and Supplemental Home Energy Allowance (SHEA) for the household size (see below examples). A 30- day per month standard must be used when prorating a grant. This means that each month is considered to have 30 days, regardless of the actual number of days in the calendar month. See 92 ADM-30 for information on proration of grants. Example 1: Single Individual applies for ESNA On February 20, 2019 a single individual applied for TA to meet an emergency/ immediate need of food. The individual had no available income or resources and there were no available community resources. The individual was determined eligible for ESNA and was issued a grant of $54.90 for food needs. A repayment agreement cannot be required and an overpayment must not be established. Standard of Need for Individual $ (Basic) $ (HEA) $ (SHEA) $ (Total - Rounded down) $183.00/ 30 days = $6.10 per day February 20 to February 28 = 9 days 9 days x $6.10 = $54.90 Page 7

8 III. New York City Human Resources Administation HRA Bulletin March SNAP Benefits Early Disbursement POLICY BULLETIN #19-02-ELI - PARTIAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND ITS IMPACT ON SNAP BENEFITS - January 16, 2019 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has informed the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) that in addition to funding recurring SNAP benefits for January 2019, they will be able to fund recurring SNAP benefits for February 2019, if OTDA deposits SNAP benefits into households Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) accounts by January 17, OTDA has advanced the February 2019 SNAP recurring issuance dates for all toe digits (0-9) so that SNAP benefits will be available to participants on January 17, Households whose SNAP certifications expire on January 31, 2019 that did not get recertified by January 15, 2019 will not be issued advanced benefits. However, SNAP benefits will be released based on the normal issuance cycle for cases processed after the early issuance deadline. Page 8

9 When speaking to SNAP participants who will be issued their February 2019 recurring SNAP benefits on January 17, 2019, Job Center, HASA, and NCA SNAP Center staff must inform them that the payment is not a bonus, it is their advanced SNAP benefit for February and that they should budget their spending accordingly. POLICY BULLETIN #19-03-ELI - CASH ASSISTANCE AND SNAP POLICIES REGARDING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY THE PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN - January 24, 2019 The purpose of this policy bulletin is to inform Job Center, HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA), and Non Cash Assistance (NCA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Center staff of clarifying guidance received from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) regarding the manner in which the incomes of federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown are assessed, should they apply for Cash Assistance and/or SNAP benefits. This policy bulletin also provides guidance on the appropriate employability status codes to use for these federal employees. Federal government employees who have been furloughed or who are still working but are not currently being paid due to the partial government shutdown are not to have their pre-shutdown earned income used to determine eligibility for emergency Cash Assistance, recurring Cash Assistance or SNAP benefits. For example, a federal government employee who is still working but is not currently being paid due to the partial government shutdown, has an annual salary of $60,000 per year ($5,000 per month). He resides alone and has applied for SNAP benefits. His only current income is $25.00 per month in interest from savings accounts. When determining his financial eligibility to receive SNAP benefits, only the $25.00 per month in interest income is budgeted. The $5,000 per month in salary that he is not currently receiving is not used in the eligibility determination. For example: Second Spouse is Employed A furloughed federal employee resides with their spouse and two children. They apply for recurring cash assistance and SNAP. The spouse, who works for Con Ed, earns $48,000 per year and has paystubs to verify her income is $4,000 per month. The household would be financially ineligible for both CA and SNAP benefits. Sole wage earner A furloughed federal employee resides alone and normally earns $30,000 per year. He received no earnings on his last paycheck due to the federal shutdown and has only $500 in his savings account to use toward his overdue rent. He applies for recurring CA and SNAP. Since there was no income at the time of application, he may be financially eligible for both CA and SNAP. Page 9

10 IV. Reports, News and Notable Items In the Shadow of the Shutdown: NYC s Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens Rise Up to Serve on Razor Thin Margins Food Bank For New York City content/uploads/shadow-of-the-shutdown_food-bank-for-new-york-city- Brief.pdf 2019 began in the midst of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. 18,000 federal workers impacted in New York City found themselves exposed to new vulnerabilities and many were introduced to the city s Emergency Food Network for the first time. Other threats also materialized during the shutdown, when 1.6 million low-income New Yorkers received their February SNAP benefits early, creating a SNAP Gap for recipients who have to stretch this early disbursement over a much longer period. In the face of this crisis, the Emergency Food Network served as our city s backstop against hunger for even more of our neighbors in need. This report, presented at a moment of uncertainty, sheds light on the reality of the poorest charities in the poorest communities serving the poorest New Yorkers. Page 10

11 Page 11

12 Many SNAP Households Will Experience Long Gap Between Monthly Benefits Despite End of Shutdown Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Even though SNAP now has funding to continue in March, the measures that the Administration and states took to protect SNAP in February have, for many households, created a much longer period of time between SNAP benefits than the usual 28- to 31- day cycle.[4] That s because February benefits were issued at least ten days earlier than usual and most states stagger the issuance of SNAP benefits throughout much of the month, with some household regularly receiving their benefits in the latter part of the month. Page 12

13 Page 13

14 THE 2019 Page 14