TO:	Local District Commissioners, TA and FS Directors, Staff Development Coordinators, TOP Coordinators

FROM:	Rus Sykes/ Deputy Commissioner, Division of Temporary Assistance

SUBJECT:	Budgeting of Food Stamp Benefits for Group Home Residents

EFFECTIVE DATE:  April 21, 2005

CONTACT PERSON:  Food Stamp Policy Bureau at 1- 800-343-8859, ext. 3-1469 

The Group Home Standardized Benefits (GHSB) budgeting, implemented January 1, 2005, calculates food stamp (FS) benefit amounts for households residing in shelter types 10, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 based on a household’s district, shelter and source of income.  OTDA recently secured federal approval to establish different GHSB amounts for residents of Supervised/Supportive Apartments and Enriched Housing (shelter type 17) who incur Heating/Air Conditioning costs or are otherwise eligible for the Heating/Air Conditioning Standard Utility Allowance (HT/AC SUA).  As a result, a new level of FS GHSB amounts has been created for this shelter type 17 group.  (See the FS Group Home Standard Benefit Table, below).
 
Effective April 11, 2005, FS shelter type 17 budgets with a HT/AC Indicator = ‘A’, ‘X’, ‘H’ or ‘Z’ and an effective From DATE of January 1, 2005 or later, will result in a  new GHSB amount.  Such cases that are one person households with either TA or SSA/SSI income will be entitled to a $149 GHSB.  Such cases without TA or SSA/SSI income will be entitled to a $137 GHSB. District FS Directors will shortly receive an ABEL CASE REFFERAL that will include a listing of shelter type 17 cases that are eligible for a HT/AC SUA.  Districts are to rebudget these GHSB cases and provide them with their new GHSB and restore any FS benefits the household would be entitled to back to January 1, 2005. 

FS Group Home Standard Benefit Table
Shelter types; 10,12,13,15,16 and 17
Effective January 1, 2005 (N/A for Homeless or DV shelter residents)
Income Source	TA	SSI/SSA	Other (No TA, No SSI/SSA)	
County	FS Benefit Amount	
All districts -
Superv/Supp Apt/Enriched Housing eligible for a HT/AC SUA             	$149	$149	$137	
Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester 	$82	$32	$50	
All Other “Rest of State” Counties	$96	$30	$137	

Districts are reminded that, for “TWO PERSON” households the Group Home Standard Benefit (GHSB) is determined based on the income source (if any) for each of the two individuals.  The worker enters the appropriate code below in the ABEL “SPONSOR “ field based on the combined income sources of each individual: 
“1”- BOTH TA 
“2”- 1-TA AND 1-SSA
“3”- 1-TA AND 1-NEITHER TA OR SSA
“4”- BOTH SSA
“5”- 1-SSA AND 1 NEITHER TA OR SSA
“6”- BOTH NEITHER TA OR SSA

An individual in a two person Group Home Standard benefit household who receives both TA and SSA income is to be considered a TA individual.

The Group Home Standard Benefit amount for households greater than two persons is determined by adding together the GHSB amount that would apply to each of the individuals based on their income source.   For example, a  three person household in Suffolk County with 2 individuals receiving TA and 1 SSA (only) would have their GHSB determined as follows: ($82 + $82 + $32) = $196. Note that the GHSB for multi person households cannot exceed the maximum TFP benefit amount for that size household.

Group Home Standard benefit households of greater than two persons must be worker processed with a Bottom Line budget.