Response to Comment

Dear Diary,


Hey there,

I just got a comment asking if I can get AFDC and Food Stamps with my income.

Heres the problem. Ive gone to the Website for the state of California. And I MEET ALL the guideline qualifications, except for ONE THING.

I OWN A HOUSE.

Which they see as an asset that you can sell and get money from.

Which the problem is if I sold my house? Well my mortgage is HALF the cost of a 2 bedroom apartment. I am so fortunate that my ex and I bought when the market was low. So Im paying a VERY Drastically low mortgage payment compared to others who live in my area. And home prices have gone up here also. So to even buy another place doesnt even equal out. Make sense?

But I wonder if they make exceptions based on peoples situations? Because it would be totally foolish for me to sell the house.

So there ya have it. 🙁

Heres what the Website says for Food Stamps…

ELIGIBILITY

A “household” is a person living alone or living with others or group of people who live together and normally buy and prepare their food together. Parents and their children under age 22 who live together are considered to be a household.

There are some eligibility requirements. Generally, you may be eligible to Food Stamps if you:

receive CalWORKs or General Relief.

have limited income or no income.

have limited property.

are a U.S. Citizen or a legal resident.

are able-bodied, do not have children under age 18, and are working 20 hours per week or are in the Workfare program.

Certain groups of people may not receive Food Stamps:

people who are neither U.S. citizens nor legal residents.

people who receive SSI/SSP.

If you aren’t exempt from working or are working at least 20 hours a week, or are participating in a Workfare program, you must participate in the Food Stamp Employment and Training Program. You will gain valuable skills in job search, vocational training, remedial education, substance abuse treatment, and work experience. Your Eligibility Worker will explain the program to you.

——————————————————————————–

INCOME

You must meet certain income qualifications to receive Food Stamps:

1. GROSS INCOME TEST

Gross Income is all income from any source that isn’t exempt. Your Eligibility Worker will explain the exemptions to you. This chart shows the maximum gross income per month allowed for a household of a given size.

Number of People in Household

Maximum Gross Income Allowed

1 $1258

2 $1585

3 $1913

Im a family of 3. So you can do the math and see that I qualify with $8.75 an hour.

2. ADJUSTED NET INCOME TEST

After you show that you don’t exceed the allowable Gross Income, your Eligibility Worker will determine your adjusted Net Income. This is done by subtracting certain work expenses, unearned income, and other allowable deductions from your monthly Gross. There are other factors that are considered if anyone in your household is 60+ years old or disabled. Your Eligibility Worker will explain them to you. The result of the subtraction is your Adjusted Net Income, and it’s used to determine the dollar value of the Food Stamps you can get each month.

PROPERTY

Property that is considered when you apply for Food Stamps includes:

cash on hand or in a bank account

savings bonds

stock

Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

the fair market value of a vehicle if it is worth more than $4,650. Depending on your situation, some exemptions may apply to vehicles.

The total value of the property cannot exceed $2,000 for a household, but if the household includes someone who is over age 60, the limit is $3,000.

There are several exemption, deductions, and exclusions for property, so be sure to ask your Eligibility Worker if you have any questions.

But I guess I could at least ask right?

Im in a in between situation. I cannot get any government assistance “Dental Care” for my youngest child because we have HEALTH insurance. If you have any type of health coverage they seem to think you can afford dental. Even though my bosses pay the health for my children for me.

Also I went on Medical during both my pregnancies. We had no insurance. And we did not qualify for any public assistance or food stamps. They even told me because my husband worked full time we could not qualify. If he worked part time, we would.

Its messed up. 🙁

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