Food Stamps Question

Updated on August 29, 2011
B.K. asks from Joliet, IL
17 answers

I live with my son, my boyfriend and his five kids. He makes a little less than I do, so with the large amount of food we need to buy for 6 kids (5 of whom are teenagers), I am ending up having to split the food cost with my boyfriend, even though my son and I are only consuming 25% of the food. Would my boyfriend be able to get snap benefits? (I am concerned that because of the amount of money I make, he would be ineligible because we live together, even though we are not married and I am not asking for any of the benefit.) Anyone have any experience in how this works? Thanks ladies!

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

If you are not claiming eachother on taxes and are not receiving mutual benefits then he should be able to qualify. I would look into it.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.H.

answers from Chicago on

Have you looked into: Angelfoodministries (http://www.angelfoodministries.com/host.asp?id=401)

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 45 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

Your income might not apply because you are unmarried, but it may be different in your state, and you might be considered legally common law married. In Texas, your income would apply because it goes by household members who prepare and share food together, which you do. Also, I hope the teenagers have jobs too... I worked, went to school and did extracurricular actives from the age of 15 on up to help support my family.

5 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I had a coworker who gamed the system. From her I know that unless you are married your income does not come into play. Well actually it may be different, I live in Missouri.

4 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Tell your boyfriend, to get a 2nd job.
He has a lot of mouths, to feed.

Call your local office, and ask them.
Or HE should do that, and be responsible for his kids. HE should be getting all the information he needs. Too.

Do any of his kids, work?

Is HE concerned about this too? Or not? I mean, you are concerned because of the expenditures for food. Common sense. But is he also.... thinking about this and being concerned & responsible as well and is actively trying to figure this out and find out information on SNAP too, for his kids/family?
Or is he just not concerned at all?

Just call your local SNAP office and ask them.
That is the only way to find out, conclusively.

3 moms found this helpful

E.D.

answers from Seattle on

In Washington, it depends on whether or not you prepare and share food with your "household"/housemates. For example, if I have a roommate (boyfriend or not), and we buy and separate our foodstuffs, and cook separately, we would be counted as separate entities.
If we were to share food and prepare it as a family/household, we would be counted as one household and all our incomes (and dependents) would be taken into account.

It's probably different state to state. Here's the link to your state: http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=30357

3 moms found this helpful
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J.K.

answers from Mansfield on

not sure of IL law but here in OH it is household income. So your income would count as well even though you are not married. Just like my sister who is pregnant-she and her bf live at home with my parents so although they shouldn't be responsible for her medical and food bills-they are and she can not get health coverage or foodstamps. But you could always look into it. Never hurts to apply and get turned down ,hurts alot to qualify and never apply :-)
And even with the money you both make with that many people in the house, the guidlines maybe alot higher than you think.

3 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Kansas City on

makes sense to me to share the cost of food regardless of how much of it you are eating, if you are living with him and helping raise his kids why wouldnt you help??? but, as far as I know, if you arent married then your income doesnt apply but you would have to call and check, or go online.

2 moms found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

You need to check with the laws in your state. Since you live together and share household expenses, chances are he will need to claim your income, or at least part of it. Also, in many state if you have lived together as bf/gf for a certain period of time (in some areas as little as 6 months) you are considered to be common law married.

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A.H.

answers from Canton on

i didnt read your answers but i have applied before and my case worker said you have to say "only u and your kid eat in the household" so he has to lie (pretty much) - he can't say that you are eating with him. He has to say if he gets food stamps that only him and kids will eat the food. Pretty much like you guys were roomates

1 mom found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

since you are not married your income might not be considered...

I don't know the "laws" in Illinois regarding this. I would tell him to call the local welfare/wic/snap office to see what their rules are and see if HE qualifies!

GOOD LUCK!!

1 mom found this helpful

A.R.

answers from Houston on

Have your boyfriend contact the support office. Generally the people at SNAP are very helpful. I always help my mother with her paperwork since she's disabled and unable to work. The best advice I have is to be honest with the support office. For one you don't know what they are looking for information wise so a lie which you think could help might actually not help. Also he will have to periodically reapply to ensure he still qualifies so lies become hard to remember. Good luck.

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A.W.

answers from Chicago on

I have food stamps and I live in Illinois. I can tell you that, like Ephie said, if you buy and prepare food together as one unit then they will take your income into account. If you and he buy/ prepare separately then your income wouldn't matter. I don't know how much you to make together but with 8 people the income guideline is up there. You two have to have a gross income of $4,010 a month. Here is a calculator on the state's website that you can use to see what he or you both would get. http://fscalc.dhs.illinois.gov/FSCalc/ They also take into account things such as mortgage/ rent, utilities, phone bill, and child support.
I do know people that live together and say they buy/ prepare separate even though they don't to circumvent that policy. We don't and I'm not advocating that you do that, I'm just saying there are people who do that.
Good luck to you and if you have more questions about the Illinois public aid system let me know. I receive benefits now and I am also studying Human Services in college as well so I'm kinda well versed in this stuff.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.R.

answers from Wausau on

Nope none for the house unless you seperate living. By that I mean you have to cook and eat, and store food seperate...We Did this when we lived with my hubby's parents short term after job loss. We stored and ate our food seperate then the parents. But states are different and the only way to know is to call and ask them directly and tell the truth...If you can...you can if you can't...you can't. No better way to know then to call and ask direct.

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A.S.

answers from Chicago on

Call your local office and find out if eligibility for the benefits is based on income of the entire household or income of a family. I know there are some programs that are based on the family, not the household. If that is the case, they will consider you and your son as one family & your boyfriend and his kids as another family so it would just be his income & family size that would count toward the eligibility. Even if he's not eligible, the office may know of some food pantries, etc. that he might qualify for. Good Luck! Teenagers can definitely eat!

M.M.

answers from Tucson on

They will take into consideration everyone eating the food in one house. So 2 incomes will have to be reported. With 7 people in the house if you dont make much you may qualify. You should be able to check online. It does not matter if you are married. You can also apply online here in AZ. You might want to check in IL if you can.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

A person can file for food stamps for anyone living in their home. I can file for food stamps and list my other grand-kids that visit me, if they are not being claimed as a dependent and receiving food stamps, or any other state benefits, somewhere else.

They have no way of proving who lives in the home or not. If he files he can get food stamps. You are not his spouse, you are in fact, his roommate. Whether you have a sexual relationship or not is not there business. He should let you buy some of the household groceries for you and your daughter if he does get them though. Even if you cook the main meals together you two could still have some of your own things like snacks that you eat together.

So yes, he can apply for food stamps for his children, you are not married so your income is not his to buy groceries for his children.

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