In fact, the Arkansas Legislature passed a law in 2017 that specifically bars the state from making such changes. States have the option of lifting the restriction through a federal policy known as “broad-based categorical eligibility.” So far, 41 states have used this flexibility to make the SNAP program work better for hungry families.īut Arkansas has not done so. To move families toward financial independence, even modest savings accounts are essential.Īmong those states that still have asset limits, most have raised them much higher than Arkansas’s limit. Though asset limits were designed to ensure that only needy families received public help, most states have recognized that the limits actually run counter to the goal of helping families advance economically. Most states have gotten rid of their asset limits altogether, recognizing that other eligibility guidelines (like income limits) are enough to measure whether a family qualifies. If we want these essential workers to achieve the economic security they need to meet their families’ needs, we must allow them to build their own modest savings accounts before losing SNAP benefits. Thirty percent of nursing home, psychiatric and home health aides in Arkansas participate in the SNAP program. Top occupations of workers participating in SNAP include cashiers, home health aides, cooks, laborers and drivers. In Arkansas, 117,000 workers live in households that participate in SNAP. On average, each household member gets about $5 in SNAP benefits, per day. Most families that participate, about 74 percent, have children in the home. SNAP helps more than 340,000 Arkansans afford food – more than 1 in 10 of our state’s residents. We shouldn’t be making it harder for our own essential workers to put food on the table. Why? In Arkansas, we take pride in providing the rest of the country with quality meat, rice, soybeans, fruit, and other healthy foods. We’re one of only nine states that have the most restrictive asset limit possible under federal law. And it doesn’t matter whether the family has children or not – the limit is the same. If they have set aside more than that for emergencies like car repairs, they’ll lose their SNAP benefits even if they meet the income requirements. How much is too much? Anything more than $2,500 for most families. In our state, an asset limit prevents families from obtaining SNAP benefits – the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program – if they have too much money in their bank accounts or their car is valued at a higher rate. The Food Stamp (SNAP) Program’s purpose is to end hunger and improve nutrition by providing monthly benefits to eligible low income households to help them buy the food they need for good health.Īrkansas Food Stamp Program – Arkansas Food Stamp Website provides information on the State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).Even as food prices rise, Arkansas continues to make it harder than necessary for low-income families to qualify for food assistance programs. Applications for the Food Assistance Program are available in all Arkansas county social service offices. The US Food Assistance Division administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Arkansas. Your eligibility to get assistance from Arkansas (SNAP) food stamp program is determined by regulations issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service. Click Here For Your Arkansas Food Stamp Application Form Click here to find an Arkansas Food Stamp office nearest you. You can also bring you application form to your local food stamp or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program office for processing. You can fax the form in, or mail it to your local Arkansas Food Stamp office . Your Arkansas Food Stamp Application Form may be filed in the county where you live or you can apply online online.
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