When Should You Apply for Food Stamps When Unemployment Ends?
- If you are unemployed through no fault of your own, you may be entitled to receive unemployment benefits. The amount of unemployment benefits you receive depends on the state you live in, your previous income and whether you support any dependents. Unemployment benefits may not cover all of your day-to-day living expenses, such as housing, transportation and food.
- The food stamp program, known at the federal level as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides food benefits to people who cannot otherwise afford to buy sufficient food for themselves or their families. To qualify for food stamps, you and your household must have income and financial resources under the threshold set by the federal government. The eligibility threshold is higher in Alaska and Hawaii, which have a higher cost of living, and can be raised on an emergency basis in states coping with natural disasters.
- You can apply for food stamps even while you receive unemployment benefits, provided that your income is low enough to qualify. If you are currently disqualified from food stamps because your unemployment benefits are too high but you know that your benefits will end soon, contact your local social services office to ask when you should file your application. Find out about food banks in your area so that you can ensure that you and your family will have sufficient food while your food stamp application is in process.
- Log onto your state's department of social services website. You may be able to apply for food stamps online or at least download an application. In most cases, after you complete and submit your application, you will need to schedule an in-person or telephone interview with a caseworker. Your caseworker can also determine if you are entitled to other benefits. In some states, you may be eligible for "workfare" programs that can provide you with job experience and enable you to earn additional benefits.