1.1.4 Eligibility Overview

Non-Financial Eligibility

The application process begins with a person contacting a local agency to request FoodShare benefits. The local agency must determine whether the applicant is a Wisconsin resident. The local agency must determine whether the applicant is a boarder, foster person, or resident of an institution. Some applicants are not eligible for FoodShare because their food needs are already met.

Individual Eligibility

To be eligible for FoodShare, an individual must be a U.S. citizen or qualifying immigrant. A Social Security number (SSN) is required, or the individual must apply for an SSN, for each person who is requesting FoodShare benefits. A food unit member cannot belong to more than one FoodShare assistance group with a few exceptions.

Food Unit

The food unit can include anyone who purchases and prepares food with the primary person. There are some exceptions regarding who must be included in the food unit based on relationship rules.

FoodShare Assistance Group

The FoodShare assistance group includes everyone who will receive FoodShare benefits.

Work Programs

Almost everyone age 16-59 must register for work to be FoodShare eligible. Some exceptions include full-time students and parents caring for young children.

Unearned Income

Unearned income and any unearned income that is deemed from an ineligible member may be counted. Some types of unearned income include: child support, unemployment compensation, Social Security, and W-2Wisconsin Works payments.

Earned Income

The food unit’s gross earned income may be counted. Some types of earned income include: wages, tips, in-kind, training, and self-employment income.

Room and Board Income

Income the food unit receives from a boarder may be counted.

Gross Income Computation

The 200% federal poverty level (FPL) gross income test applies to all broad-based categorically eligible food units (except for food units with an EBDElderly, Blind, or Disabled member) as a condition of eligibility. Most food units are considered broad based categorically eligible if their gross income is at or below 200% FPL and the language describing "Job Center" services is issued to the food unit on a CARESClient Assistance for Reemployment and Economic Support-generated notice of decision.

Note: The FoodShare worksheet and the CWW budget page refer to “assistance group size” for the gross income test.

Food units that include an elderly, blind, or disabled member with gross income that exceeds 200% of the FPL must be tested for FoodShare using the regular SNAP rules. Under the regular SNAP rules, these food units have no gross income limit but must have a net income that does not exceed 100% of the FPL and countable assets that do not exceed $3,250.

Dependent Care

If a food unit member pays for child care or care for an adultA person who is 18 years old or older food unit member, he or she may receive a deduction for each dependent. The care must be necessary for the food unit member to look for work, go to work, or attend school.

Shelter and Utilities

Food units that have a shelter and utility obligation may receive a shelter and utility deduction. The food group will receive a standard utility allowance based on the receipt of Wisconsin Heating Energy Assistance Program/Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP/LIHEAP) benefits in the current month or past 12 months. Unless the food unit includes an elderly or disabled individual, a shelter deduction is allowed only if the total shelter expense exceeds half the income after all other deductions.

Income Test

Food units that are not categorically eligible must pass the 100% FPL net income test based on FoodShare assistance group size. Categorically eligible food units do not have to pass this test; however, if net income exceeds the FoodShare net income limit, FoodShare assistance groups of three or more people may not receive FoodShare benefits. If the group’s net income equals or is less than the limit, the group may be eligible for benefits.

Note: Assistance group size is listed on the CWW budget page for the net income test.

Allotment

The allotment is the monthly amount of FoodShare benefits an eligible FoodShare assistance group receives. The allotment is calculated by looking at FoodShare assistance group size and total adjusted net income. Prorate the initial allotment if the FoodShare assistance group applies after the first of the month.

Renewal Date

The local agency must review a food unit’s eligibility within certain time frames. Most food units are certified for 12 months. Food units that include a migrantany person who temporarily leaves a principal place of residence outside of his state and comes to this state for not more than 10 months in a year to accept seasonal employment in the planting, cultivating, raising, harvesting, handling, drying, packing, packaging, processing, freezing, grading, or storing of any agricultural or horticultural commodity in its unmanufactured state or seasonal farm worker, and food units who are homelessAn individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or an individual whose primary nighttime residence is: 1) A supervised shelter designed to provide temporary accommodations (such as a welfare hotel or congregate shelter), 2) A halfway house or similar institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, 3) A temporary accommodation for not more than 90 days in the residence of another individual, or 4) A place not designed for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (for example, a hallway, bus station, a lobby, or similar places)., are certified for six months. These food units are subject to a reduced reporting policy.

Food units that include only EBDElderly, Blind, or Disabled individuals with no reported earnings are certified for 12 months and must report most changes within 10 days.

Benefit Amounts

FoodShare benefit amounts are based on the number of individuals who are eligible and monthly net income after deductions. The lower the net income, the more FoodShare benefits a FoodShare assistance group may receive. Only families with very little or no monthly net income will receive the maximum amount of FoodShare benefits.

This page last updated in Release Number: 16-01

Release Date: 05/31/2016

Effective Date: 05/31/2016