WAC 388-400-0040
Am I eligible for benefits through the
Washington Basic Food program? The Washington Basic Food
program (Basic Food) is a nutrition program to help low-income
individuals and families buy food. This rule is a summary of
the rules for Basic Food.
(1) When you apply for Basic Food, we decide who is in
your assistance unit (AU) based on the requirements under WAC 388-408-0034 and 388-408-0035.
(2) To be eligible for Basic Food benefits, your AU must
meet the eligibility requirements of the most current version
of the Food Stamp Act of 1977.
(3) To be eligible for federal Basic Food benefits, each
AU member must meet the citizenship or alien status
requirements for federal benefits as described under WAC 388-424-0020.
(4) An AU member who is not eligible for federal benefits
may be eligible for state-funded Basic Food benefits if they
meet the requirements described under WAC 388-400-0045.
(5) To be eligible for federal or state Basic Food
benefits, each AU member must:
(a) Be a resident of the state of Washington as required
under WAC 388-468-0005;
(b) Meet the citizenship or alien status requirements of
either WAC 388-424-0020 or 388-424-0025;
(c) Give us their Social Security number as required
under WAC 388-476-0005;
(d) Give us proof of identity as required under WAC 388-490-0005;
(e) Participate in the food stamp employment and training
program (FSE&T) as required under chapter 388-444 WAC; and
(f) Meet the eligibility criteria for strikers as
described under WAC 388-480-0001.
(6) To be eligible for Basic Food, your AU must:
(a) Have countable income at or below gross and net
income standards as described under WAC 388-478-0060;
(b) Have countable resources at or below your AU's
resource limit under WAC 388-470-0005 unless your AU is
categorically eligible under WAC 388-414-0001;
(c) Report changes of circumstances as required under WAC 388-418-0005; and
(d) Complete a mid-certification review and provide proof
of any changes if required under WAC 388-418-0011.
(7) If your AU has income under the gross income
standard, we deduct certain expenses from your income under
WAC 388-450-0185 before we calculate your Basic Food benefits.
(8) If an eligible person in your AU is elderly or
disabled, some rules may help your AU to be eligible for Basic
Food or to receive more Basic Food benefits. These include:
(a) Resources limits and excluding certain resources
under chapter 388-470 WAC;
(b) An excess shelter deduction over the limit set for
AUs without an elderly or disabled individual under WAC 388-450-0190;
(c) A deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses for
the elderly or disabled individual if they are over
thirty-five dollars a month under WAC 388-450-0200; and
(d) Being exempt from the gross monthly income standard
under WAC 388-478-0060.
(9) For Basic Food, elderly means a person who is age
sixty or older;
(10) For Basic Food, disabled means a person who:
(a) Receives SSI;
(b) Receives disability payments or blindness payments
under Title I, II, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act;
(c) Receives disability retirement benefits from a state,
local or federal government agency because of a disability
considered permanent under section 221(i) of the Social
Security Act;
(d) Receives disability benefits from the Railroad
Retirement Act under sections 2 (a)(1)(iv) and (v) and:
(i) Meets Title XIX disability requirements; or
(ii) Is eligible for medicare.
(e) Receives disability-related medical assistance under
Title XIX of the Social Security Act;
(f) Is a veteran and receives disability payments based
on one hundred percent disability;
(g) Is a spouse of a veteran and:
(i) Either needs an attendant or is permanently
housebound; or
(ii) Has a disability under section 221(i) of the Social
Security Act and is eligible for death or pension payments
under Title 38 of the USC.
(11) If a person in your AU attends an institution of
higher education and does not meet the requirements to be an
eligible student under WAC 388-482-0005, we do not count this
person as a member of your AU.
(12) If your AU currently receives food benefits under
WASHCAP or lives on or near an Indian reservation and receives
benefits from a tribal food distribution program approved by
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), your AU is not eligible for
food assistance benefits through the Washington Basic Food
program.
(13) If an AU member is ineligible for any of the
following reasons, we count the ineligible person's income as
described under WAC 388-450-0140:
(a) Able-bodied adults without dependents who are no
longer eligible under WAC 388-444-0030;
(b) Persons fleeing a felony prosecution, conviction, or
confinement under WAC 388-442-0010;
(c) Persons who do not attest to citizenship or alien
status as defined in WAC 388-424-0001;
(d) Persons who are ineligible aliens under WAC 388-424-0020;
(e) Persons disqualified for an intentional program
violation under WAC 388-446-0015;
(f) Persons who do not provide a Social Security number
when required under WAC 388-476-0005; or
(g) Persons who failed to meet work requirements under
chapter 388-444 WAC.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057,
74.04.510, 74.08.090. 06-13-043, § 388-400-0040, filed
6/15/06, effective 7/17/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 54. 04-21-025, § 388-400-0040, filed 10/13/04, effective 11/13/04.
Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057,
74.08.090. 04-15-057, § 388-400-0040, filed 7/13/04,
effective 8/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050,
74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 54. 04-14-040, §
388-400-0040, filed 6/29/04, effective 7/30/04. Statutory
Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.04.510. 03-05-028, § 388-400-0040, filed 2/10/03,
effective 4/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050,
74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, §
388-400-0040, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]