Food Stamp Pre-Screening Tool
This Pre-Screening Tool can be used to determine if your client may be eligible to receive Food Stamp benefits. This Pre-Screening Tool is not an application for Food Stamps. An application for Food Stamps must be made at your local Food Stamp Office.
Before you begin, you may want to look up the amounts of your earnings, rent or mortgage, utility bills, child support, day care expenses, medical bills (if you are 60 or older, or disable), child support payments or SSI, social security or VA payments.
Proof of all household income (Social Security benefit payments, OWF income verification, paychecks stubs, etc.)
Social Security Card for you and each member of you household
Rent receipts, proof of utility bills, home insurance and property taxes
Proof of medical expenses for those 60 or older (medical bill(s))
Proof of where you live - if it is reasonably possible to get verification (lease agreement, deed, notarized letter, etc.)
Proof of identity of everyone in household (driver's license, State ID, school ID, etc.)
Proof of age of everyone in household (Birth certificate, U.S. passport, etc)
Proof of citizenship for everyone in household (Birth Certificate, U.S. Passport, Green Card, etc)
Proof of disability benefits (SSD payments stub, etc.)
Proof of other assets and resources (bank records, savings account book, etc.)
**NOTE: When you submit any documentation, make sure you ask for a dated receipt from the CDJFS to confirm it has been received by them.
The County Departmet of Job and Family Services has 30 days from the application file date to determine your eligibility. All information and documentation must be on file by this time. Information will be mailed to your household explaining the decision. If you are going to receive food stamps, CDJFS will include a daate and time for your orientation. At orientation, a video will be shown intrducng the operations of the program. A demonstration of how to load the benefits and use the Ohio Direction Card will be performed. At this time, you choosse 3 stores where you will be able to load you food stamp benefits.
Using the Ohio Direction Card
Once a household has been approved for food stamp benefits, you will be issued an Ohio Direction Card. It works much like a debit card. Benefit are loaded onto thcard and automatically decrease as money is spent at a store. The card holder must be especially careful to protect the chip which stores all the information electronically on the card.
A user must choose s 5-digit code as a password and 3 specific stores where you will be able to load your benefits each month. Households have 30 days (sometimes longer, you will be told this on your letter of approval) to load benefits onto the card or you will lose them. Once loaded onto the card the can be used at any store.
Once loaded, benefits carry over from month to month if not used.
Stores must have a Point of Sale Terminal in order for you to use your food stamp benefits at that location. At the store, you insert you Ohio Directions card into the Point of Sale machine and them enter you password. Once the password is verified, the balance abailable on the card will be displayed on the machine monitor. After your grocery items have been rung up , the machine will display the total. You will them press "YES" to accept that total. IF the machine displays the message "Short, $XX>XX", the balance on the card is not sufficient to cover the purchase amont. Grocery items can be returned or the remainer can be paid for with cash.
STores should be able to do a manual transaction if the system is down. However, such purchases are limited to $50.00. If there is a problem usin the benefits at the store, you should contact your case worker at the local County Department of Job and Family Services.
Expedited (Emergency) Food Stamps
In situations of EXTREME NEED, you household may receive Expedited Food Stamps. To qualify for Expedited Food Stamps, you household must meet one of the following criteria.
1. Households with zero net monthly income and liquid resources of $100 or less. If you qualify, Food Stamps with be available 24 hours fro the day of application.
2. Households with less than $150 in gross monthly income and liquid resources of $100 or less. If you qualify, Food Stamps will be available on the 7th day after application.
3. Migrant or Seasonal Farm Workers households who are destitute and have liquid resources of $ 100 or less. If you qualify, Food Stamps will be available of the 7th day after application, or,
4. Households whose combined monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than the monthly rent or mortgage, and utilities. If you qualify, Food Stamps will be available on the 7th day after application.
After apply for expedited food stamps, if you do not receive food stamps or do notagree with the decision reached by the food stamp office you have a right to a County Conference within 2 days.
What can you buy with Food Stamps
Food stamps can be used to purchase grocery items except alcholic beverages, tobacco, restaurant food, personal care products, or household items.
Food stamps cannot be traded or sold
Food stamps can also be used to buy seeds and plants to grow food in home gardens.
What do I do if the card locks or is stolen?
1. The card will lock if the wrong code is entered three times in a row.
The County Department of Job and Family Services will have to be contacted in order to unlock the card. If you go to your case worker's office,
someone at the front desk should be able to help you.
2. If the card is stolen, lost or damaged, call the HELPLINE at 1-800-944-3273.
Your Ohio Direction Card will be replaced in two or more business days. The Helpline can also inform you of your card balance and let you change the
locations where your benefits are loaded.
The Helpline can be called for no charge from a pay-phone.