Step 1: Apply in one of the following ways:
- Print out an application here.
- Request an application for by phone, in person, by fax, or by mail from your county’s department of human services (DHS) office.
Step 2: Mail or deliver your completed application form to your local department of human services (DHS).
Step 3: Find a DHS office near you by clicking here.
Note: For assistance, please call: 1-800-948-3050
Applying For Mississippi Food Stamps
Food stamps, or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) as it is currently technically labeled, was set up to support persons located in the U.S. that are undergoing difficulty paying for food items due to the fact they’re making a low income. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also called food stamps) supports millions of people. In reality, it assisted over 40 million folks in the year 2010.
Lower income households living in Mississippi can request food stamps benefits regardless of what their ethnic background, sex, religious beliefs, or background is. Precisely how much a particular person receives in assistance from SNAP depends on a few factors, but in the year 2008, the average person received $101 a month.
Mississippi Requirements for Applicants
For you to become accepted into the Mississippi food stamp program, you will need to meet particular monetary as well as situational requirements. Furthermore, there are a few documents an applicant is going to need during the food stamps application and interview process.
One particular prerequisite that pertains to most, is that you cannot possess any greater than $2,000 in assets if you are below 60 years old. If a person within your house, or you, are at least sixty years old, then the limit is raised up to $3,000. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income), aren’t regarded as assets when you are applying for food stamps. Although, cash, what is in a bank account, and potentially your current vehicle, are counted as assets.
One other requirement is an income limit, that is affected by the amount of people you’ve got residing in your house while you are requesting for food stamps.
Once you complete your application and have submitted it to your local DHS office, you will need to wait until the office has assigned you a case worker and your application has been reviewed. The next step is the interview with your case worker. You will be contacted to set up an interview time.
What To Bring To Your Interview
The interview is designed to make sure that all of the information submitted on your application is correct and up to date. Many people become nervous at the thought of an interview, but it is usually very straightforward. Remember that your case worker’s job is to help you if you need it, so there is no need for anxiety.
To prove your application claims, you will need to bring along some proof that you are who you say you are such as a driver’s license, birth certificate, passport or green card. You will also need your social security number as well as the social security numbers of others in your home whom you are applying for. If you have a job, you will also need to bring in your pay stubs, or if you are self-employed, you will need to bring in your most recent tax return. Statements from your bank accounts, along with any other financial accounts or other papers for your finances such as bonds, dividends or stock certificates will also be needed. And of course you will need to prove your expenses, which means you will need to bring along all of your household bills such as your electricity bill, rent or mortgage bill, phone and/or internet bill, garbage bill, etc. If you pay or receive child support, you may also need to bring along proof of child support costs.
The sum of your expenses will also be factored in. If you’re paying for child or elderly care, rent, mortgage, or utilities; all of those expenditures will be taken into account. In addition to that, there are also specific medical expenditures that could be counted towards your total expenses while applying for food stamps.
EBT Card
An EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card is supplied to those which are found eligible and pass the application and interview process. An EBT card is very much like a debit card and may be used at most food stores, and even a number of qualifying convenience stores or farmers markets.