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Farm Bill 2007 Information and Recommendations
Take action today!
As Congress reauthorizes the Farm Bill this year, our top priority is a strong Nutrition title that reauthorizes and improves the Food Stamp Program, the nation’s first defense against hunger, and bolsters the efforts of the emergency food assistance system.
The Advocacy Alert, published monthly by Oregon Food Bank and Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force, will have up-to-date information on the Farm Bill and potential budget cuts, as well as tips on things you can do to help. To sign up for this list or for help contacting the Legislative and Congressional representatives for your area, please visit www.capwiz.com/oregonfoodbank/state/main/?state=OR
Farm Bill 2007 FSP Recommendations: Submitted to USDA in 2005
Allotments
- Raise the $10 minimum benefit to $25, and allow households with more than 2 members to qualify for full minimum benefits. (Households with more than 2 members currently receive less than the minimum)
- Base monthly benefits on an updated measure of what families need to buy healthy foods. (Current studies establish the need for increased benefits to support actual costs of healthy diets; see http://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/csnappublic/HealthyDiet_Aug2005.pdf)
- Raise dependent child care deductions to $700 a month per child under age 2 and $500 per month per child age 2 and above. (Would better reflect actual costs)
- Allow medical deductions for non-senior and disabled persons, and/or create a standard medical deduction. (Similar to standard utility allowance; allow persons with costs exceeding standard to use actual costs, include health insurance premiums)
- Increase shelter deductions, and/or establish an allowance based on family size. (To better reflect actual costs of heating and housing)
- Allow deductions for car insurance. (To support and encourage steady employment)
- Exclude income from SSI for seniors and persons with disabilities. (For example, disregard income up to the first $600 or other SSI limit)
- Count Unemployment Compensation benefits as earned income. (Because taxes have to be paid on that income)
Access
- Provide funding for states to assist with implementation of EBT technology at Farmers' Markets and roadside stands. (Supports local agriculture, local economies)
- Rename the Food Stamp Program. (No longer using stamps; could impact stigma)
- Include option to "cash out" FS benefits with SSI payments. (Outreach to seniors; high percentage currently receiving SSI and not FS even though are categorically eligible)
- Enhance/widen the use of Food Stamps at places offering hot meals to the homeless at low cost.
Eligibility
- Raise income eligibility thresholds to 185% FPL to align with WIC and Child Nutrition Programs. (Higher threshold to simplify and expand outreach to working poor)
- Exclude household resources. (Allows working families to avoid further crisis and maintain homes, cars and life savings when monthly income drops)
- Use information from federal taxable annual income to simplify calculation of eligibility yearly. (Implement yearly reporting system)
- Fully restore immigrant eligibility. (Allow legal adult immigrants eligibility based on income; eliminate confusing restrictions including 5 year work history)
- Fully restore single adult eligibility. (Eliminate time limits for single adults; make work requirements the same as for other households)
- Exclude from household income reporting all income earned by members age 18 and under if in school at least halftime. (Income from children under 18 should not count against household eligibility; would align with TANF requirements)
- Align Americorps*VISTA eligibility with other Americorps legislation to exclude living allowances, whether the individual applies for food stamps before or after becoming a VISTA member. (Current legislation counts the living expense allowance against eligibility if a VISTA applies after becoming a member)
- Allow participants under age 22 who have children and who are living with their parents, to apply separately from their parents. (Current requirement of applying together results in undue hardship for grandparents and young military families, is inconsistent with other federal regulations such as tax deductions)
- Allow grandparents and other non-needy caretakers to apply for benefits for children only. (To provide support for extended families)
- Eliminate work requirements for fulltime college students. (Use direct certification for FS certification FS when student is eligible for financial aid)
Administration
- Adjust the error rate to allow for recognition of state increased participation, set a "reasonable" fixed rate for states to aim toward, and exclude from error sampling households issued less than $25.00 in the sample month. (States must compete to establish error rates, and it is easier to achieve low error rates when fewer people are participating; inefficient to search for errors in households receiving few benefits)
- Eliminate client repayments for worker errors.
- Establish a standardized staffing ratio for all states. (Levels the playing field on rates)
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