WAC 388-400-0040 Am I eligible for benefits through the Washington Basic Food program?

The Washington Basic Food Program (Basic Food) is a nutrition program to help low-income individuals and families buy food. This rule is a summary of the rules for Basic Food.

1. When you apply for Basic Food, we decide who is in your assistance unit (AU) based on the requirements under WAC 388-408-0034 and WAC 388-408-0035.

2. To be eligible for Basic Food benefits, your AU must meet the eligibility requirements of the most current version of the Food Stamp Act of 1977.

3. To be eligible for federal Basic Food benefits, each AU member must meet the citizenship or alien status requirements for federal benefits as described under WAC 388-424-0020.

4. An AU member who is not eligible for federal benefits may be eligible for state-funded Basic Food benefits if they meet the requirements described under WAC 388-400-0045.

5. To be eligible for federal or state Basic Food benefits, each AU member must:

   1. Be a resident of the state of Washington as required under WAC 388-468-0005;

   2. Meet the citizenship or alien status requirements of either WAC 388-424-0020 or WAC 388-424-0025;

   3. Give us their Social Security number as required under WAC 388-476-0005;

   4. Give us proof of identity as required under WAC 388-490-0005;

   5. Participate in the food stamp employment and training program (FSE&T) as required under chapter 388-444 WAC; and

   6. Meet the eligibility criteria for strikers as described under WAC 388-480-0001.

6. To be eligible for Basic Food, your AU must:

   1. Have countable income at or below gross and net income standards as described under WAC 388-478-0060;

   2. Have countable resources at or below your AU's resource limit under WAC 388-470-0005 unless your AU is Categorically Eligible under WAC 388-414-0001;

   3. Report changes of circumstances as required under WAC 388-418-0005; and

   4. Complete a mid-certification review and provide proof of any changes if required under WAC 388-418-0011.

7. If your AU has income under the gross income standard, we deduct certain expenses from your income under WAC 388-450-0185 before we calculate your Basic Food benefits.

8. If an eligible person in your AU is elderly or disabled, some rules may help your AU to be eligible for Basic Food or to receive more Basic Food benefits. These include:

   1. Resources limits and excluding certain resources under chapter 388-470-WAC;

   2. An excess shelter deduction over the limit set for AUs without an elderly or disabled individual under WAC 388-450-0190;

   3. A deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses for the elderly or disabled individual if they are over thirty-five dollars a month under WAC 388-450-0200; and

   4. Being exempt from the gross monthly income standard under WAC 388-478-0060.

9. For Basic Food, elderly means a person who is age sixty or older;

10. For Basic Food, disabled means a person who:

    1. Receives SSI;

    2. Receives disability payments or blindness payments under Title I, II, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act;

    3. Receives disability retirement benefits from a state, local or federal government agency because of a disability considered permanent under section 221(i) of the Social Security Act;

    4. Receives disability benefits from the Railroad Retirement Act under sections 2 (a)(1)(iv) and (v) and:

       1. Meets Title XIX disability requirements; or

       2. Is eligible for Medicare.

    5. Receives disability-related medical assistance under Title XIX of the Social Security Act;

    6. Is a veteran and receives disability payments based on one hundred percent disability;

    7. Is a spouse of a veteran and:

       1. Either needs an attendant or is permanently housebound; or

       2. Has a disability under section 221(i) of the Social Security Act and is eligible for death or pension payments under Title 38 of the USC.

11. If a person in your AU attends an institution of higher education and does not meet the requirements to be an eligible student under WAC 388-482-0005, we do not count this person as a member of your AU.

12. If your AU currently receives food benefits under WASHCAP or lives on or near an Indian reservation and receives benefits from a tribal food distribution program approved by Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), your AU is not eligible for food assistance benefits through the Washington Basic Food Program.

13. If an AU member is ineligible for any of the following reasons, we count the ineligible person's income as described under WAC 388-450-0140:

    1. Able-bodied adults without dependents who are no longer eligible under WAC 388-444-0030;

    2. Persons fleeing a felony prosecution, conviction, or confinement under WAC 388-442-0010;

    3. Persons who do not attest to citizenship or alien status as defined in WAC 388-424-0001;

    4. Persons who are ineligible aliens under WAC 388-424-0020;

    5. Persons disqualified for an intentional program violation under WAC 388-446-0015;

    6. Persons who do not provide a Social Security number when required under WAC 388-476-0005; or

    7. Persons who failed to meet work requirements under chapter WAC 388-444-0005.