Evaluation of Reaching the Underserved Elderly and Working Poor in SNAP

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In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new collection for the contract Evaluation of Reaching the Underserved Elderly and Working Poor in SNAP.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before June 21, 2010.

Less than one-third of eligible elderly (age 60 and older) persons and less than three-fifths of persons in eligible households with someone working participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to the latest (2007) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates. These participation rates suggest that many people in these two groups who may need nutrition assistance are not receiving SNAP benefits. Without SNAP, elderly individuals may not be able to meet their nutritional needs or may forgo medicine for food; working people may not be able to adequately feed their families, despite their work efforts. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), responding to a Congressional request, has funded six State demonstration projects to increase SNAP access to eligible households with either persons over age 60 or with adult members who are working or looking for work. FNS is conducting an evaluation of the demonstration projects. By evaluating these demonstrations, FNS will be able to advise Federal policymakers and State administrators on the best approaches to increasing SNAP access for these two populations.

The evaluation of the demonstration projects has several objectives. The evaluation will describe each demonstration project and the implementation process; assess the impact on SNAP participation in the target groups, application barriers, client satisfaction, household benefits, administrative costs, and payment errors; and assess the sustainability and replicability of each demonstration project. To meet these objectives, FNS will collect information from the pilot and comparison sites before, during, and after the intervention. FNS will collect and analyze administrative data in each demonstration State and will conduct site visits to each demonstration project and conduct focus groups with SNAP applicants.

USDA Announces Grants to Expand Nutrition Help for Low-Income Seniors

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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest in pilot projects to increase access and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, among low-income seniors. Award grants, totaling approximately $8 million, will allow State agencies to pursue innovative outreach and delivery pilot projects. Interested State agencies may obtain grant applications at http://www.grants.gov or http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is encouraging State agencies to submit grant applications for programs designed to boost SNAP participation among Medicare's Extra Help population. Extra Help, also called Low Income Subsidy, is a program to help low-income individuals or couples with limited resources pay for their Medicare prescription drug plan costs. Under a new law, data from these applications is sent to State Medicaid agencies to enroll people in Medicare Savings Programs. FNS will provide funding to encourage the Extra Help population to participate in SNAP by using State Medicaid agency data from Medicare Savings Programs. FNS invites State agencies to submit applications that will implement outreach efforts, simplify eligibility, or standardize benefits for this population.

The deadline to submit grant proposal applications is June 30, 2010.

Upcoming Medicare Change is an Opportunity to Enroll Eligible Low-Income Seniors in Food Stamps — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

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The Medicare Part D Low-Income Drug Subsidy (LIS), Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), and Food Stamps[1] can play important roles in improving the health and well-being of low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Together, these programs can provide several thousand dollars a year in benefits and can significantly increase a low-income Medicare beneficiary’s ability to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, all three programs suffer from very low participation rates among Medicare beneficiaries who are low-income, but not so poor that they qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. Many low-income Medicare beneficiaries do not know that they can qualify and receive substantial benefits from these programs. For others, the complexity of the eligibility rules and difficulties in enrolling, the differences between program requirements, or the stigma associated with seeking help all serve as barriers.

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State Aims to Help Families Struggling to Buy Food

New York Region State Aims to Help Families Struggling to Buy Food By KIRK SEMPLE Published: July 2, 2008 The state has found a way to significantly increase federal food assistance — by more than 50 percent in some cases — for about 114,000 impoverished households around the state. The increases are allowable under provisions in federal law that enable residents enrolled in the federal home-energy subsidy program to receive higher food stamp allocations. To benefit from the increases, 114,000 households, most of whom are in New York City public and Section 8 subsidized housing, will be enrolled in the energy subsidy program. The strategy is part of the state’s energy assistance plan, which is currently undergoing public comment and must be submitted to the federal Department of Health and Human Services by Sept. 1. State officials said they planned to begin the increase in food stamps on Oct. 1.