23-01 Version of 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. Additional non-financial eligibility criteria may apply.

Individual Eligibility

To be eligible for FoodShare, a person must be a U.S. citizen or qualifying immigrant. A Social Security number (SSN) is required, or the person 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

Some members aged 16 to 59 must register for work to be FoodShare eligible. Some exceptions exist, including full-time students and parents caring for young children. Some members aged 18 to 49 must meet a separate FoodShare work requirement in order to maintain eligibility.

Unearned Income

Unearned income, including 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, 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 elderly, blind, or disabled (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 EBD 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 $4,250.

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, they 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 or utility obligation may receive a shelter and utility deduction. The actual receipt and application of this deduction will depend on other eligibility and budgeting factors.

The cost of rent, mortgage, taxes, or other shelter costs can be claimed as part of the shelter deduction. Homeless persons can also claim shelter costs. The cost of utilities such as gas, electric, water and telephone can be claimed for the utility deduction. 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 can count towards a utility deduction.

Income Test

Food units that are not categorically eligible must pass the 100% FPL net income test based on FoodShare assistance group size. Broad-based 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 might 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.

Food units that include only EBDElderly, Blind, or Disabled persons with no reported earnings are certified for 12 months.

All food units are subject to reduced reporting policy.

Benefit Amounts

FoodShare benefit amounts are based on the number of persons 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: 23-01
Release Date: 04/17/2023
Effective Date: 02/25/2023