(DailyChive.com) – The SNAP program is designed to help your household access healthy and nutritious foods if you are low-income and need additional assistance. Unfortunately, not all applicants or recipients claim all their eligible deductions and lose out on money each month. Below are deductions you may not be claiming that could help maximize your monthly amount of SNAP.
Claim All Eligible Deductions
There are a number of different deductions that will qualify you for SNAP benefits and impact how much you receive each month. These deductions include the following that you may not even realize you have:
- Child Support
- Excess Shelter
- Homeless Shelter
- Earnings
- Medical Expenses
Child Support
If you pay out a part of your wage to another parent for a child living outside of your home, those child support deductions can be included when you apply for your SNAP benefits. This will reduce your income coming into the home and could make you eligible for more monthly benefits. If your child support obligation changes at any time where you are having to pay more, you will need to notify their office right away.
Excess Shelter
Each month you have expenses related to your home life, but most applicants may not realize they can claim these deductions. Excess shelter expenses include the utilities you must pay within your home, the property taxes you pay annually if you own the property, and the mortgage payment or rent given to a landlord. Insurance payments are also covered under excess shelter expenses.
If you have had recent home repairs, you may also be eligible for excess shelter benefits. The drawback is that you can only claim repairs you paid for out of pocket. If your insurance company or FEMA covered any costs for repairs, they will not be eligible.
Homeless Shelter
Unfortunately, there are situations where SNAP recipients find themselves for an extended period living out of a homeless shelter. A handful of states will allow those who have resided in a homeless shelter to earn SNAP benefits. There is a pre-fixed amount that is automatically deducted from any earnings for individuals who may be in this situation. This gives anyone in this situation a better chance of receiving more SNAP benefits.
Changes in Your Earnings
Since SNAP benefits are based on how much you are bringing into the home, it is important to notify their office immediately if there are changes in your income. If you suddenly reduce work hours or are laid off from a position, you can increase the number of SNAP benefits you receive. In areas with seasonal work, many recipients will fall into this category and need to supply the appropriate documentation as hours start to decline.
You can also claim deductions if you have to pay additional expenses for your job, such as dry cleaning, purchasing uniforms, or anything else that is related to your job as a deduction. Applicants who own their own businesses have more earning claims they can make on their applications.
Medical Expenses
For recipients who are either 60 years old or are legally disabled, all medical expenses that you accrue can be used in your SNAP case and help improve the number of benefits you receive. Suppose you meet either the age requirement, status, or both. In that case, you need to supply your SNAP representative with all your documentation related to your medical expenses so that it can be deducted from your income.
Disabled veterans honorably discharged with a disability can also count these expenses towards their income on their application. Anyone receiving social security income should make sure to claim that information so that the medical expenses will be eligible.
Review Your Deductions Today
If you currently receive SNAP benefits or are applying for them, look over your application and ensure that you claim every possible deduction that applies to you and your household. You could be costing your family money each month in benefits by not properly claiming all your deductions.
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