Good News: The System Adjusts His Food Stamps

Aspect of Need addressed: Financial

Following up our previous visit to the Mercer County Board of Social Services ("BOSS") to get my son's Food Stamps adjusted (see that blog entry), there is good news. I called the case worker, Mr. Holloway, who told me that the adjustment has been made.

This adjustment is good for two years, when my son will be "recertified", unless his situation changes. If my son moves or secures another job, he will at that time have to report back to the BOSS.

[Note: "Food Stamps" is the old name for what is now called "SNAP", or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of the US Department of Agriculture, which is funded by the USDA through the states. In New Jersey's case, SNAP funds pass through the New Jersey Food Stamp Program of the Division of Family Development of the NJ Department of Human Services. The application for and management of SNAP funds to eligible individuals is handled at the county level, which in my son's case is at the Mercer County Board of Social Services. --Ed.]

You'll recall that my son's SSI has been increased. This resulted from the loss of his part-time work (when he had to go for all day medical treatment over a period of time) and the wages that it generated. His overall income, now being only SSD and SSI and no longer including his part-time wages, has dropped to only $695 per month. So he needed to get his Food Stamps increased to more able to pay for food. While he was working, his Food Stamps allocation was $60 per month. The good news from Mr. Holloway is that now this will be increased to $181 per month.

So, effectively his gross disposal income will now be $876 per month.

Subtract from that his rent of $388 (more about his new subsidized apartment in a later blog entry...).

That leaves $488.

From this amount he will have to pay for food (supplemented by the $181 of Food Stamps), gas and electricity, and telephone. Yesterday my son asked about internet and cable. These would cost about $80 per month.

So, for these calculations one can see a withering reality: that a psychiatrically disabled citizen on SSD and SSI lives on the absolute bottom rung of the American economic ladder.