3/20/2024 0 Comments Food stamp application iowaIowa's average monthly SNAP participation of roughly 279,000 in the 2022 budget year was the lowest since 2008, according to federal data. Trone Garriott noted that Pennsylvania in 2015 ditched its asset test for SNAP after a three-year pilot program that saw administrative costs outweigh reductions in spending. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, argued the proposed changes would likely raise the state’s costs by increasing the amount of paperwork and administrative oversight, while callously taking food out of the mouths of tens of thousands of children, who represent one-third of the approximately 300,000 people in Iowa who experience food insecurity. That equates to a household income of about $48,000 for a family of four. They also establish the income threshold for Iowan families receiving food assistance at 160 percent of the federal poverty level. The bills were amended to exclude a second vehicle with a fair market value less than $10,000 among other personal property and assets that could be counted against recipients. The test would apply to all liquid assets, such as checking and savings accounts, and personal property, excluding one vehicle. Under the legislation, which was amended following concerns that having a car or modest savings could disqualify already economically stressed Iowa families from public assistance, households could have a maximum of $15,000 in assets. Investigations resulted in savings to the state of more than $8.4 million, according to a 2022 “ Fraud in Public Assistance Programs Report.” Of the referrals received by the department during the fiscal year, 97 percent were related to SNAP investigations. The Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals responded to 4,696 fraud referrals for the fiscal year ending June 30. ”The Legislature is dedicated to protecting Iowa’s safety net for Iowans in need, while at the same time protecting Iowa taxpayers from paying services for ineligible individuals.“ĭemocrats contend cases of fraud are low and pushed Republicans for evidence. "The intention of this bill is to ensure Iowa’s welfare programs are sustainable and remain available for the Iowans who truly need them,“ said bill sponsor Rep. Republicans said requiring Iowans who are receiving public assistance benefits to undergo more rigorous eligibility verification reviews would bolster program efficiency and weed out abuse, and make sure that people who are applying are eligible. The measures propose the state Department of Health and Human Services enlist a private vendor to verify assets, identity and other eligibility requirements for hundreds of thousands of Iowans participating in public assistance programs involving federal and state benefits no later than July 1, 2025. Senate Study Bill 1105 and House File 3, both passed out of committee largely along party lines with Democrats opposed, making them eligible for further consideration and floor debate this legislative session.
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