Community Legal Services PA Food Stamp Estimator Worksheet

Revised on Oct. 1, 2015

www.clsphila.org

KEY
Enter Your Data
Calculated Data
Based on Chart

1. HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION
1.1 Total Number of Persons in the Household

(See 'Help' tab sheet for Definitions)

1.4 Is there at least one Elderly (60 or over) OR Disabled person in the Household?
1.6 Is the Household Homeless?
1.7 Is every member of the household receiving TANF, GA or SSI?

2. INCOME INFORMATION
2.0 Liquid resources (i.e., cash on hand plus bank balances)
2.1 Monthly Gross Earned Income (GEI) before taxes (from any kind of job).
2.2 Compute Monthly Earned Income Disregard (EID) (percentage is displayed)
2.3
(2.1 minus 2.2) =
2.4 Enter the total amount of all Unearned Income received per month (TANF, SSI, child support,
pension, SS, workers compensation, etc).
2.5 Total Gross Household Income
(2.3 minus 2.4)
TOTAL UNADJUSTED INCOME
Eligibility is based on Income.

0
0

0
0
P R O C E E D.

0
0

2.6 The standard deduction for a household with member is

2.7 Enter the monthly Dependent Care Costs.
Note: These are the costs to care for dependents to enable a household member to 1) Work, 2) Look for work
or 3) Attend job training. Also, the CCIS co-pay may be deducted as a DC cost.

0
0
0
Err:504

2.8 Court ordered child support paid per month.

2.9 Monthly (unreimbursed) medical expenses for all Elderly and Disabled household members.
2.10 The Monthly medical expenses minus the $35 monthly medical allowance is
TOTAL ADJUSTED INCOME

3. EXCESS SHELTER COSTS

3.1 Utility Expenses
Does Client pay any portion of Heat or Cooling expenses?
Does Client pay 2 utilities (may include phone), but NOT Heat or Cooling?
Does Client pay 1 utility (not the phone), but NOT Heat or Cooling?
Does Client pay only the phone?
Heating SUA
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7

Household's monthly rent/mortgage (if any)

Monthly fire insurance (if not included in rent/mortgage payment)
Property tax paid (if not included in rent/mortgage payment)
Unadjusted Shelter Costs (3.1 + 3.2 + 3.3 + 3.4) =
Total Adjusted Income (from Sect. 2) * 1/2 =
Unadjusted Shelter Costs minus Half of Total Adjusted Income (3.5 - 3.6)
TOTAL EXCESS SHELTER DEDUCTION

570
0
0
0
570
Err:504
Err:504
Err:504

4. BENEFIT CALCULATION
4.1 Total Net Income (Total Adjusted Income - Total Excess Shelter Deduction)
4.2 Maximum Monthly Benefit for a household with member
4.3 30% of Total Net Income (4.1 * .3)
(4.2 minus 4.3)
ESTIMATED MONTHLY BENEFIT

Err:504
#N/A
Err:504

#N/A

Client qualifies for EXPEDITED SNAP !

Based on data that was current as of

Note:

The data on this sheet is informational only and may change without notice.

Section 1. HOUSEHOLD Information

Definitions
"Household"
A group of people who live together and

who purchase and prepare meals

1. Children under age 22 who live with their parents must be part of the parents household, even if they ea
2. Spouses who live together must be in the same household.
3. Individuals (and their spouses) who cannot prepare their own food because they are both elderly and dis
even if they eat with others, as long as the others they eat with have income below 165% of the federal pov
All household members must be considered together, and all of their income counts.
The only way to exclude someone and their income from a food stamp household is to eat separately from
"Elderly"
Aged 60 or over.

"Disabled"
Receives government disability benefits at the SSI level of disability. E.g., SSI, SSD, Healthy Horizons, MA
As per FSH 510.21
Click here for the on-line DPW reg.

"Homeless"
Homeless people are eligible for food stamps even if they live in a shelter where their meals are provided.
People may be considered homeless if they are doubling up with a friend or relative for less than 90 days.
To get the standard homeless shelter deduction, the household must have some out-of-pocket shelter expe
Most homeless shelters charge fees, which count. Buying things for the friend with whom one is staying wo

Section 2. INCOME and ELIGIBILITY

Monthly Gross Earned Income
The food stamp office will multiply average weekly pay by 4 (not 4.3) to determine monthly earned income.
Work-study does not count as income.
This is only used to calculate eligibilty and not the actual benefit amount.
Other Types of Income
x
x

Types of income that are eligible include SSI, Cash Assistance

Types of income that are not eligible include Lottery Earnings, Illegal Gains, etc.

Initial Eligibility

1. If EVERY member of the Household is receiving TANF, GA or SSI, then the Household is
2. If ANY member of the Household is Elderly (60+) or officially qualified for disability benefits, then the Hou
3. Otherwise, in order to be eligible
if the size of the
and the Monthly
Household is
Income does not Exceed

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Additional Per Person
Max Benefit and Standard Deduction Table
For a Household
of Size
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Additional Per Person

1,570
2,125
2,680
3,234
3,789
4,344
4,898
5,453
6,008
6,563
555

...the Maximum
Benefit Amount is
194
357
511
649
771
925
1,022
1,169
1,315
1,461
146

Special Cases

There are some folks for whom the July 2009 expanded elegibility rules do not apply.
For those folks the net income and 130% Gross Income tests still apply.
Original DPW memo is here.
The following few households do not qualify for Expanded CE:
> Elderly/disabled households with income above 200 percent of the FPIGs,
> Households whose head of household is currently disqualified for failing to comply with employment and
> A household that has an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) that currently results in the disqualification o
Tips

Medical Expenses
Don't forget the Medicare Part B and/or D premiums if the client isn't receiving the buy-in or low income sub

Section 3. EXCESS SHELTER COSTS

Standard Utility Allowance

The FSP uses standard amounts for utility expenses, regardless of the actual amount spent.
TIP: If a household pays even a portion of its heating costs, it gets the maximum SUA.
If the rent includes heat, see if the landlord will change the arrangements to specify that a certain amount o
E.g.: If the rent is $500 including heat, have it changed to $450 for rent plu
$570 Heating SUA

$296 Non-Heating SUA

$55 Limited SUA
$33 Telephone Allowance
Calculating the Excess Shelter Deduction
General Rule
The Excess Shelter Deduction is capped at $504
Homeless
If the Household is Homeless, they may deduct the larger of the calculated Excess Shelter Costs or $143
The Excess Shelter Deduction is capped at $504
Elderly
If the Household has an Elderly (60+) or Disabled person, they may deduct their actual costs,
with no cap, based on the calculations in Section 4.
Although there is no cap, there also is no 'floor' of $143 as there is with the Homeless.

Section 4. BENEFIT CALCULATION

Minimum Benefit
Under some conditions, an otherwise ineligible HH may be eligible for a Minimum Benefit of $16
Those conditions are:
1
2

The Household has no more than 2 members

and
Every member of the HH is on TANF, GA or SSI
If the HH meets 1&2 and is still not eligible for Benefits, the Minimum Benefit

The minimum benefit is for households of 1 or 2 people -- they can never get less than $16 if they're eligible
Other folks get whatever the calculated benefit is -- there's no minimum for them.

ay change without notice.

ase and prepare meals together, with some exceptions:

must be part of the parents household, even if they eat separately or have children of their own.
their own food because they are both elderly and disabled can be a separate household,
eat with have income below 165% of the federal poverty level.

and all of their income counts.

om a food stamp household is to eat separately from them.

el of disability. E.g., SSI, SSD, Healthy Horizons, MAWD, GA with a 12-month EAF.
ine DPW reg.

hey live in a shelter where their meals are provided.

ng up with a friend or relative for less than 90 days.
ousehold must have some out-of-pocket shelter expenses.
ying things for the friend with whom one is staying would also count.

by 4 (not 4.3) to determine monthly earned income.

al benefit amount.

arnings, Illegal Gains, etc.

NF, GA or SSI, then the Household is eligible for Food Stamps.

officially qualified for disability benefits, then the Household is eligible for Food Stamps.

then the family is eligible for Food Stamps and may proceed.

Standard Income
Deduction (based on HH size)
155
155
155
168
197
226
226
226
226
226
226

d elegibility rules do not apply.

e tests still apply.

0 percent of the FPIGs,

disqualified for failing to comply with employment and training requirements, or
on (IPV) that currently results in the disqualification of a household member.

the client isn't receiving the buy-in or low income subsidy

egardless of the actual amount spent.

costs, it gets the maximum SUA.
the arrangements to specify that a certain amount of the rent is set aside for heat.
0 including heat, have it changed to $450 for rent plus $50 for heat.
Client Pays Heat or Cooling

Client Pays 2 Utilities, NOT Heat or Cooling, MAY include Phone

Client Pays 1 Utility, but NOT Heat or Cooling, and NOT Phone
Client Pays Phone Only

ger of the calculated Excess Shelter Costs or $143

on, they may deduct their actual costs,

3 as there is with the Homeless.

y be eligible for a Minimum Benefit of $16

, the Minimum Benefit may apply.

e -- they can never get less than $16 if they're eligible at all.
ere's no minimum for them.

en of their own.

NOTE:
Last Edit:

10/1/2014
Oct-14
Sep-13

Do not edit the numbers on this sheet unless you know what you are doing.
Editing these tables will result in changes to the computed benefit amount.

Oct. 1, 2015
SUATable
Heating SUA
Non-Heating SUA
Limited SUA
Telephone

$570
$296
$55
$33
$0

Size of current HH
0

Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14

Gross Income Limits 160% FPIG

1
1570
2
2125
3
2680
4
3234
5
3789
6
4344
7
4898
8
5453
9
6008
10
6563
11
555

GrIncLimCalc >

Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14

-10
-5550
6563
1013

Gross Income Limits Elderly/Disabled 200% FPIG

1
1962
2
2656
3
3350
4
4042
5
4736
6
5430
7
6122
8
6816
9
7510
10
8204
11
694

-10
-6940

GrIncLimCalcELD >
Oct-14

8204
1264

Max Benefit
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

194
357
511
649
771
925
1022
1169
1315
1461
146

-10
-1460
1461
1

Monthly Disregard Percentage

20.00%

Monthly Medical Allowance for Elderly or Disabled

35

Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14

Standard Deduction Table

1
2
3
4
5
6

155
155
155
168
197
226

Dependent Care Allowance

0
0

Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14

FPIG Net Income Limits (100% FPIG)

1
981
2
1,328
3
1,675
4
2,021
5
2,368

6
7
8
9
10
11

Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14
Oct-14

2,715
3,061
3,408
3,755
4,102
347

-10
-3470
4102
632

Oct-14

Minimum Benefit
16
Excess Shelter Max
504

Oct-14
Oct-14

Excess Shelter Homeless

143
(See Excess Shelter Table below...)

Current HH_Status value

0

HH_Status Codes
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
XS_ShelterTable
0
1
2
3
4

5
6
7

XS_Shelter DeductionTable
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

o not edit the numbers on this sheet unless you know what you are doing.
diting these tables will result in changes to the computed benefit amount.

Client Pays Heat or Cooling

Client Pays 2 Utilities, NOT Heat or Cooling, MAY include Phone
Client Pays 1 Utility, but NOT Heat or Cooling, and NOT Phone
Client Pays Phone Only
Client Pays Neither Utilities nor Phone

changed 9/2013

(As stated on the main sheet.)

Effective October 1, 2014

For Each Additional Person Above 10

How to calculate the Gross Income Limit for HH larger than 10
For a HH of ...
This is how much we add
This is what we add it to
This is the total
This number is used because this household has no Elderly/Disabled members.

1013
#N/A
These two numbers may not be th

lderly/Disabled 200% FPIG

For Each Additional Person Above 10

How to calculate the Gross Income Limit for Eld/Dis HH larger than 10, though it works for less too.
For a HH of ...
This is how much we add

This is what we add it to

This is the total
This number is not used because this HH has no Elderly/Disabled members.
Updated for 10/14

#N/A

* For each Additional Member over 10

How to calculate the Max benefit for HH larger than 10
HH is not big enough to do this calc properly...
This is how much we add
This is what we add it to
This is the total
* Unlike the Gross Income Limit above, this only calcs correctly for HH more than 10.

ance for Elderly or Disabled

Children 2 and Under -- THIS HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED -- NO CAP ANYMORE

-- THIS HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED -- NO CAP ANYMORE

s (100% FPIG)

* For each Additional Member over 10

* Note that this table is only used to test for eligibility for the Minimum Benefit Amount,
which only applies to households of less than 3.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/government/FY07_Income_Standards.htm
How to calculate the FPIG Net Income Limit for a HH larger than 10
HH is not big enough to do this calc properly...
This is how much we add
This is what we add it to
This is the total

Changed from $16 on Nov 1, 2013

For folks who may not otherwise be eligible, see conditions at bottom of the Help Sheet

Also called "Shelter Deduction"

This cap applies only to non-Elderly Households.
No change for October 2014
Also called "Homeless Shelter Deduction"
This alternative deduction applies only to Homeless HH and serves as a floor.

able below...)

This value is set based on Elderly/Disabled, Homeless, Rcv'ing TANF status. See table below.

<-- There is a single space in this

At least one person in the Household is Elderly.
(only)
Household is Homeless.
(only)
Household is Elderly and Homeless
All members of the Household are receiving TANF, GA or SSI (none are Elderly nor Homele (only)
HH is Elderly and All members are receiving TANF, GA or SSI.
HH is Homeless and All members are receiving TANF, GA or SSI.
HH is Elderly and Homeless and All members are receiving TANF, GA or SSI.

The Total Excess Shelter Deduction is capped at $504

Because the HH has an Elderly/Disabled person, there is no cap on their Total Excess Shel
Because the HH is Homeless, the mimimum XS Shelter Deduction is $143
The Total Excess Shelter Deductio
Because the HH has an Elderly/Disabled person, there is no cap on their Total Excess Shel Because the HH is Homeless, the
The Total Excess Shelter Deduction is capped at $504

Because the HH has an Elderly/Disabled person, there is no cap on their Total Excess Shel
Because the HH is Homeless, the minimum Excess Shelter Deduction is $143
The Total Excess Shelter Deductio
Because the HH has an Elderly/Disabled person, there is no cap on their Total Excess SheltBecause the HH is Homeless, the

Err:504
Err:504

there is a cap
Elderly, no cap

$143

Homeless, there is a floor

$143
Err:504

Homeless and Elderly, there is a fl

CatEligible, only a cap

Err:504

Elderly, no cap

$143
$143

Homeless, there is a floor

Homeless and Elderly, there is a fl

changed 9/2013

Limited SUA

Income Eligibility Standards

calc
vlookup
These two numbers may not be the same if HH<12

Income Eligibility Standards

Standard Income Deduction based on HH Size

Shelter Deduction

<-- There is a single space in this cell

<-- There is a single space in this cell

<-- There is a single space in this cell
The Total Excess Shelter Deduction is capped at $504
Because the HH is Homeless, the mimimum Excess Shelter Deduction is $143
<-- There is a single space in this cell

<-- There is a single space in this cell

The Total Excess Shelter Deduction is capped at $504
Because the HH is Homeless, the minimum Excess Shelter Deduction is $143

there is a cap
Elderly, no cap
Homeless, there is a floor
Homeless and Elderly, there is a floor and no cap
CatEligible, only a cap
Elderly, no cap
Homeless, there is a floor
Homeless and Elderly, there is a floor and no cap

Last Edit:
2/20/2009 Up'd the Minimum to $16 and changed the benefit table.
These changes are effective April 1st, 2009.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Memo/09/021809.pdf
7/27/2009
7/27/2009
7/29/2009
7/31/2009
7/31/2009
7/31/2009
9/8/2009
9/29/2009
9/29/2009
9/22/2011
9/22/2011
9/26/2012

9/29/2014

Income limits changed from 130% to 160% of FPIG

Separate Gross inc Limit tests for households based on Elderly/Disabled membership
Removed the Net Income test when calculating eligibility for the Alt Minimum Benefit.
Changed Min test so that it calcs the benefit, then in a separate cell tests to see if the Min should be applied.
Note also indicates that Min is being applied.
Test Homelessness v. Rent/Mortgage and throw up a flag if they conflict.
Fixed Utility allowance bug
Link the Last Revised date at the top of the first page to the edit date on the Help tab sheet.
Also added comments to the Gross Income table explaining this sheet is for Categorically Eligible folks, which is
Added some comments on Data tab to make it easier to "translate" between the annual Ops memo and our term
Added some space on Data tab to note when/where numbers do NOT change.
Updated with latest COLA number as per LH

e benefit table.

9/021809.pdf

olds based on Elderly/Disabled membership

lating eligibility for the Alt Minimum Benefit.
efit, then in a separate cell tests to see if the Min should be applied.
throw up a flag if they conflict.

e first page to the edit date on the Help tab sheet.

me table explaining this sheet is for Categorically Eligible folks, which is most folks.
ake it easier to "translate" between the annual Ops memo and our terminology.
hen/where numbers do NOT change.