This worksheet is a great tool to make sure you get all those self-employment deductions! Thanks to California Association of Food Banks.

Mathematica Policy Research has just completed a new analysis of California’s SSI-Food Stamp cash-out policy.

New regulations are out, to implement provisions of the 2002 Farm Bill, intended to simplify the food stamps program. Highlights of the changes (many of which CA already does) includes State options to treat legally obligated child support payments to a non-household member as an income exclusion rather than a deduction; to exclude certain types of income and resources that are not counted under the State’s TANF or Medicaid programs; replace the current, fixed standard deduction with a deduction that varies according to household size and is adjusted annually for cost-of-living increases; allow States to simplify the SUA if the State elects to use the SUA rather than actual utility costs for all households; allow States to use a standard deduction from income of $143 per month for homeless households with some shelter expenses; allow States to disregard reported changes in deductions during certification periods (except for changes associated with new residence or earned income) until the next recertification; requires State agencies that have a Web site to post applications on these sites in the same languages that the State uses for its written applications….

For those data wonks out there, FNS has posted the latest participation rates, by state (persons and households participating, average benefits) for the last 5 years, and the latest monthly data.

Based on data of the problems, FNS has issued a guidance stating, “After a careful review of the impact of these projects on program administration, FNS has determined that it is not in the best interest of the households entitled to SNAP to support such projects with Federal Financial Participation (FFP).” States must therefore get prior FNS approval if they plan to use non-merit pay staff to perform discretionary tasks in the intake and enrollment process. Comes with a series of Q and A’s.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 created the “Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund” for certain veterans and the spouses of veterans who served in the military of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II. The compensation fund offers one time payments of up to $15,000 to eligible persons. The Act provides that these payments are to be excluded from eligibility determinations of any federally funded/assisted program. FNS reaffirms this, stating the payments are fully excluded from eligibility and allotment determinations.

FNS has told California to fish or cut bait on eligibility reporting. In a letter to CDSS, FNS reviews how California is the only state not doing simplified reporting (“SR”), and that SR is FNS’ preference. Includes a history of the state’s repeated requests to get a waiver to allow Quarterly reporting. “While FNS appreciates California’s legal and financial constraints, FNS must balance California’s concerns with FNS’ responsibility to ensure program accuracy and program access for low-income households.” The result? California has until February 15, 2010 to submit an action plan to convert to SR, with milestones to achieve legislative approval and automation reprogramming. If the plan is “convincing and coherent” CA gets 18 months to actually implement a new system. Hear the whip cracking?

You can now subscribe to USDA email updates – policy, legislation, research, outreach, grants…you name it! http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/whats_new.htm.

And to celebrate, the wonderful folks at California Association of Food Banks has updated their food stamp calculator with all the new rates.

FNS issued a memo, in which they stated they determined that there had been a decrease in the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan. But, because the ARRA increase of 13.8% contained a provision to protect against the erosion of the increased allotment, FNS determined that they would not move to decrease the allotment table as a “COLA.”