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Food Stamps

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There are very few Kansans that apply for the use of food stamp benefits in the state. It seems that around 69 percent of Kansans that are considered eligible for food stamps are signed up for the program, though this amount is actually one of the lowest rates throughout the country. State officials are not sure why this is occurring, but it seems that Kansas has not been as generous with food stamp benefits as other states have been. Kansas SNAP recipients typically collect an average of $125.11 in their monthly benefits, which is compared to $133.41 throughout the country.

The basic rules for food stamps were set by federal officials. Benefits that are based on family size can range from $16 to $1202 for a family of eight. In order to qualify, most households need to earn less than $2498 per month for a family of four, which is around 130 percent of the federal poverty guideline. They also need to have less than $2000 in assets. States need to abide by these rules in most cases, however, they can also make use of some options that would cut down on the paperwork associated with food stamps, loosen some of the eligibility standards, and work towards increasing benefits. This has been one of the major problems within the congressional debate.

Most of the states in the country use a ‘broad based categorical eligibility’ rule which states that SNAP applicants can be automatically approved if they are able to get benefits under another low-income assistance program, such as TANF. Missouri and Kansas are among only ten other states that are not making use of that option. Many of those in Congress have argued that these options are costing millions of dollars more in food stamp benefits, thus leading them to want to cut the rule and some of the funding. During a report from last year, congressional auditors found that during 2010, $460 million in food stamp benefits throughout the nation were going to people who qualified because they were a part of another poverty program.

According to Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, Kansas and Missouri are two of the most fair administrators of SNAP benefits. Other states may possibly be using the system to sign up additional beneficiaries that may not be able to qualify based on the same guidelines that are available in states such as Missouri and Kansas. Although the new information about the rate in Kansas is making many people question the use of food stamps and their benefits throughout other states – as well as how these options may be applied – it also shows that making some changes to program eligibility may be able to have positive results for recipients in the long run. It may mean that those who need the benefits the most would be able to attain them because they wouldn’t be spread to those who are eligible due to another program. However, it’s important to realize that changes to eligibility does not always reflect whether or not the recipients are having their needs met entirely.

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