Agency Visit And Paper

1Dominique McCoy

SW305 Social Welfare Policy and Services Spring Semester 09 March 31

Agency Visit and Paper

A. Accessibility and location of the office

The Department of Human Resources is located on Veterans Drive in Florence. The location of the office is a good one because it is easy to locate since it is on a main street in the area. The office has few spots available for handicap parking and while I was there I noticed that some people parked in those areas had no handicaps that prevented them from walking. Since the building holds offices for food stamps, family and child services, child support, and TANF the parking area fills up quick.

B. Type of program The Food Stamp Program is a federal assistance program that strives to end hunger and improve nutrition by providing monthly benefits to eligible low income households to help them buy the food they need for good health. The first food stamp program was started in 1939 and has grown and progressed considerably over time. The current program structure was implemented in 1977 with a goal of alleviating hunger and malnutrition by permitting lowincome households to obtain a more nutritious diet through normal channels of trade. As of 2008, the food stamp program is now called SNAPS.

C. Benefits of the entitlement/program

The program provides monthly benefits to eligible low-income families which can be used to purchase food. Food stamp benefits are put into an EBT account each month. An EBT card that is sent by mail will then need to be activated. After activated the EBT card is to be used like a debit card at the grocery store. After entering a PIN, the amount of the food is deducted electronically from the recipients’ food assistance accounts. There is also no tax on food products purchased with EBT. The amount is based on how many are in your household also. A household is defined as a person or a group of people living together, but not necessarily related, who purchase and prepare food together. Households, except those with elderly or disabled members, must have gross incomes below 130 percent of the poverty line. All households must have net incomes below 100 percent of poverty to be eligible. Most households may have up to $2,000 in countable resources (e.g., checking/savings account, cash, stocks/bonds). Households with at least one household member who is disabled or age 60 or older may have up to $3,000 in resources.

D. Funding for the program The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the Food Stamp Program at the Federal level through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). State agencies administer the program at State and local levels, including determination of eligibility and allotments, and distribution of benefits.

E. Application process I had the option of taking the application home or filling it out there in the waiting area. After you have finished the application and returned it, you will be given or mailed an

appointment for an interview with a worker. A blue page of the application is the one you are given with a list of all the things you will need to bring back to the office for your interview. The list includes proof of income, bank statements, current proof of rent or mortgage expenses, proof of child care expenses, Social Security numbers for everyone in the household, and proof of legally obligated child support payments paid to someone outside the household. The department has up to 30 days to get in touch about eligibility. If you have no income you may get expedited services and that is determined in 7 days from the date the application is turned in. During the interview you should be informed if are eligible.

F. Difficulties in the application process The difficult thing about the application process is that it may be hard to come up with every single thing on that list and also if you receive any help from parents or friends they have to write and sign something saying how much, what for, and how often. Also you could have to wait up to 30 days and if your family has no food, but do not qualify for expedited services that is very inconvenient.

G. Strengths of the process and recommendations for making the process better The main improvement I would have to say that would help out the area is if it was not such a small waiting area and perhaps if the groups of people needing to watch a video as a requirement for services could be placed in a area other than the waiting room. Also as a recipient of food stamps I also think it would better if the videos were more up-to-date also.

Sometimes the process seems rushed and not all questions are answered. The program encourages eating healthy, but the reality is that healthy foods cost more money which means the stamps would not last long or feed the whole family. I think that should be taken into consideration when they are determining the amount for a family. The program overall is wonderful because it provides food for families and individuals who otherwise may not have any food on the table.

H. Overall impressions of the experience The people in the food stamp area had good attitudes and even joked and played with my daughter who was also with me. They made me feel comfortable and I did not receive any looks that would make me feel ashamed of needing services. My case worker is very talkative and always has a smile on his face. Although dealing with a very demanding job, he is able to still show respect.