Step 1 (optional): Take the prescreening test to see if you qualify to apply for food stamps here.
Step 2: Apply for food stamps in any of the following ways:
- Apply online here.
- Fill out, electronically sign and then print your food stamps application from here, and then mail, deliver, or fax your completed application to your local Department of Human Services (DHS) or Department of Social Services (DSS) office.
- Pick up an application at your county’s DHS or DSS office and return by mail, hand delivery or fax.
- Call your local DHS or DSS office to have an application mailed or faxed to you.
Note: To contact your local DHS office, go here.
Applying For Colorado Food Stamps
Food stamps, or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) as it is currently technically called, was set up to aid folks in the U.S. that are having difficulty getting food due to the fact they are generating a low income. SNAP delivered assistance to over 40 million Americans in 2010.
It won’t matter what their own ethnicity, sex, or faith is – applying for food stamps is available to everyone living within the United States. In the year 2008, folks receiving help from SNAP averaged $101 in food aid every month.
Colorado Applicant Requirements
There are particular requirements an individual has to satisfy to be permitted to receive assistance from the food stamp program. Furthermore, there are several documents an applicant is going to need throughout the food stamps application and interview process.
One particular requirement that pertains to most, is that you cannot own any greater than $2,000 in assets if you are less than 60 years old. If you or another person in your home is no less than 60 years old, that limit is increased to $3,000. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income), aren’t considered assets when you are applying for food stamps. Although, cash, what is in a bank account, and possibly your current vehicle, are counted as assets.
One other requirement is an income limit, which is impacted by the amount of persons you’ve got dwelling at your house while you are applying for food stamps.
How much your expenses are will also be considered while making a request for SNAP benefits. Child care, elderly care, rent, mortgage, and utilities are expenditures that are factored in. In addition to that, there are also certain medical expenditures which may be counted towards your total expenses when you are applying for food stamps.
The Colorado Quest Card
After you are accepted into the SNAP program, you will get an electronic benefits transfer card (EBT). The EBT card is used like a debit card to buy food items at particular grocery stores, convenience stores, or possibly farmer markets.
Where can you use your EBT card?
Any grocery store, convenience store or farmers market that accepts EBT cards. Most farmers markets throughout the U.S. now accept EBT cards but do not have the digital machine to swipe the card through. Instead, the farmer will fill out a form and the amount will be deducted from your EBT card.
You can use your EBT card at any store that accepts EBT Cards throughout the entire United States. If you need to use your EBT card while in Wyoming, you may need to go to a large grocery store to make sure they accept the EBT card. Those who reside in Wyoming receive a different card called a Smartcard.
When will I get my food stamps benefits each month?
When you first begin receiving food stamps, you will be able to start buying food within the first 30 from the time you applied. Once you are regularly using food stamps after that first month, your benefits will be put on your card depending upon the last digit of your social security card. For instance, if your social security number is 789-789-7896, you will receive your benefits on the 6th of each month. If the last digits of your social security number ends with a 0, you will receive your food stamp benefits on the 10th of each month. The date does not change even if the scheduled date falls on a holiday or a weekend.
When will my food stamp benefits run out?
Each month you will be allotted a certain amount of money to spend on food. Once that amount is spent, you must wait until your next benefit day to use your EBT card again.
If you do not use all of your benefits by the end of the month, your benefits will be added to the amount you are allotted the next month.