Food Stamp Application Process

You may request an Application for Assistance by phone, in person, by fax, or by mail from your local Health & Welfare office.
The Application for Assistance is available online for you to download and print.
Complete as much of the application as you can. You can apply for food assistance with just your name, address, and signature on our Application for Assistance. This gets you started, but we still need you to provide the rest of the information on the application before we can determine if you're eligible to receive food assistance.
One adult household member or other authorized representative must sign the application.
When you submit your application, your local Health & Welfare office will setup an interview to go over your application. Here is a list of documents you will need to bring to your interview.
As soon as we have received and verified all necessary information for determining eligibility, we will let you know as quickly as possible whether your family is approved for assistance, usually within 30 days of your dated application.
You may qualify for expedited Food Stamp service and receive food assistance within seven (7) days, if you meet the requirements.

HOUSEHOLD MEMBER-FOOD STAMP HOUSEHOLDS
A Food Stamp household is a group of people who live together, buy food, and prepare meals together, and whose members meet eligibility requirements and are approved for food assistance benefits. The number of eligible people in your household is one factor in how much Food Stamp benefits you get.

INTERVIEW
A face-to-face interview is usually required as part of the process to get Food Stamp benefits. Interviews are normally held in the local Health & Welfare office, or other mutually agreeable location. You may request an in-home or telephone interview if going to the local office creates a hardship. The interview may be held with the head of household, spouse, the authorized representative, or other responsible adult household family member.

During the interview, an eligibility worker will explain the program, your rights and responsibilities, and help you complete any parts of the application that have not yet been completed. The worker will also ask about your income, assets, housing costs, expenses, and other related circumstances regarding your household.

DOCUMENTS TO BRING TO INTERVIEW/VERIFICATIONS
Please bring verification documents of your income and expenses with you to your interview. If you cannot get all the information together before the interview, that's OK, still come for the interview, because you will have additional time to get the information. The eligibility worker may be able to help you obtain this information as well. The following are examples of what to bring:

Proof of identity.
If student, proof of student status (full or part time).
Social Security Numbers for all household members, or proof of application for one.
If not a U.S. citizen, Resident Alien Card or other residency documents.
If employed, proof of income (pay stubs) for the past 30 days; current federal income tax records, if self-employed.
Proof of unearned income such as assistance from government agencies (unemployment, child support, etc.).
Bank statements for checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, credit union accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, etc.
Value of all cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other recreational vehicles.
Proof of shelter costs - rent or mortgage and utility costs (copies of bill or receipts).
Proof of expenses, such as child care, child support, medical, etc.

Note: Exception for expedited Food Stamp service. Only identification is required and other verification can be postponed.

EXPEDITED FOOD STAMP SERVICE
Households that qualify for expedited Food Stamp benefits go through the same application process as non-expedited households, but not all information has to be verified before Food Stamp benefits are issued. If your household can answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you may be eligible for expedited Food Stamps:

Are any members of your household migrant or seasonal farm workers?
Is your income before taxes this month less than $150?
Are your monthly housing and utility costs more than your total monthly income and resources?
Are your resources (cash, checking, savings) less than $100?

If you cannot answer "yes" to these questions, we still encourage you to apply for benefits. You may still be eligible for assistance and we can help you identify other helpful resources that may be available to you.