TO:	Commissioners; TA & FS Directors; WMS Coordinators; CAP Coordinators

FROM:  Rus Sykes, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Employment and Transitional Supports

SUBJECT:	Updated - Food Stamp Standards for October 1, 2005

EFFECTIVE DATE:	October 1, 2005

C CONTACT PERSON:	FS Questions – Food Stamp Bureau (518) 473-1469
	MRB/A Upstate Questions-James Dormond (518) 474-9286
	MRB/A NYC Questions - Stephen Cohen (212) 961-8205	

As of October 1, 2005, the Food Stamp standards are as follows:

Following are the standard deduction amounts that will be used in the annual FS mass rebudgeting for October 1, 2005:

Household Size	Standard Deduction	
1	$134	
2	 134	
3	 134	
4	 134	
5	 157	
6+	 179	

	Maximum Excess Shelter Deduction:		$400
	Homeless Shelter Deduction:			$143 (unchanged)
	Boarder/Lodger Exclusion:			$152 for one or $278 for two

Household Size	Monthly Income Elderly/Disabled Separate/Household 165% of Poverty	Maximum Gross Monthly Income 130% of Poverty	Maximum Net Monthly Income 100% of Poverty	Maximum Allotment	
1	$1,316	$1,037	$  798	$152	
2	 1,765	 1,390	1,070	278	
3	 2,213	 1,744	1,341	399	
4	 2,661	 2,097	1,613	506	
5	 3,109	 2,450	1,885	601	
6	 3,558	 2,803	2,156	722	
7	 4,006	 3,156	2,428	798	
8	 4,454	 3,509	2,700	912	
Each Add'l Member	
+  449	
+  354	
+  272	
+  114	

New York State has re-evaluated the Standard Utility Allowances (SUA standards) and determined there will be no change to the amounts of the HT/AC SUA (Combined Heat/Utility/Phone SUA in NYC), Non-Heating SUA and Phone SUA:

	Geographic Area	HT/AC SUA		UTIL SUA		PHONE SUA

	NYC			$546			$248			$33
	Nassau & Suffolk	$509			$227			$33
	Rest of State		$451			$220			$33

Districts are reminded that the standard SUA amounts, without pro-ration, are mandated for all households with qualifying utility costs rather than allowing use of the actual expenses when they exceed the standards. Also, residents of public or subsidized housing with shared meters who incur only an expense for excess utility usage are entitled to the applicable level of SUA.  For example, a public housing tenant with heat included in the rent and who has a shared utility meter but pays a monthly excess fee for air conditioning is entitled to the HT/AC SUA.  Additionally, in recognition that virtually all households incur phone expenses, the phone SUA must be granted for all cases (except homeless/undomiciled) that don't already have the phone SUA budgeted either alone or as part of a higher SUA.

The new Food Stamp standards will be migrated to production Upstate on August 20, 2005 and will be used for budgets with a "FROM" date of October 1, 2005 or later.  As detailed in ABEL Transmittal 05-5 Action #1 "Explanation of the FS Maximum Allotment Increase MRB/A (ALL)", the Mass Rebudget/Authorization for these changes is being run for upstate districts on the weekend of August 20-21, 2005.

In New York City, the new amounts for budgets effective October 1, 2005 will be migrated to production and used in a MRB/A for active cases on the weekend of September 17-18, 2005.

The standardized benefit amounts for NYSNIP (New York State Nutrition Improvement Program) and Group Home Standardized Benefits (GHSB) are also being updated as part of this Mass Rebudget for October 1, 2005.  The new amounts are shown in the tables below.  Also effective October 1, 2005, the NYSNIP “High Shelter” threshold is increased to $200 per month.

NYSNIP BENEFITS MATRIX
Effective October 1, 2005

HOUSEHOLD	MONTHLY FOOD STAMP BENEFIT AMOUNT	
	New York City	Nassau/Suffolk	Upstate	
SSI Only and SUA	High Shelter
Low Shelter	$152
$109	$152
$100	$152
$86	
SSI Only, No SUA	High Shelter
Low Shelter	$37
$23	$37
$23	$37
$23	
SSI Only	Shelter Type = 98	$23	$23	$23	
Other Inc., SUA	High Shelter
Low Shelter	$152
$102	$152
$93	$143
$78	
Other Inc., No SUA	High Shelter
Low Shelter	$29
$19	$29
$19	$29
$19	
Other Inc.	Shelter Type = 98	$19	$19	$19	

NYSNIP BENEFITS MATRIX BY SHELTER TYPES
 Effective October 1, 2005

HOUSEHOLD	MONTHLY FOOD STAMP BENEFIT AMOUNT	
	New York City	Nassau/Suffolk	Upstate	
Shelter Type 94 (High Shelter/SUA)	SSI Only
Other Income	$152
$152	$152
$152	$152
$143	
Shelter Type 95 (Low Shelter/SUA)	SSI Only
Other Income	$109
$102	$100
$93	$86
$78	
Shelter Type 96 (High Shelter/ No SUA)	SSI Only
Other Income	$37
$29	$37
$29	$37
$29	
Shelter Type 97 (Low Shelter/ No SUA)	SSI Only
Other Income	$23
$19	$23
$19	$23
$19	
Shelter Type 98 
(No Shelter or SUA Data)	SSI Only
Other Income	$23
$19	$23
$19	$23
$19	

FS Group Home Standardized Benefit Amounts

Effective October 1, 2005

Upstate Shelter Types 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 42
NYC Shelter Types 15, 16, 17, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 42, 43, 47 and 48
(N/A for Homeless or Domestic Violence shelter residents)

Income Source	TA	SSI/SSA	Other (No TA, No SSI/SSA)	
County	FS Benefit Amount	
All districts -
Supervised/Supportive Apt/Enriched Housing Eligible for a HT/AC SUA             	$152	$152	$140	
NYC	$84	$33	$51	
Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester, 	$84	$33	$51	
All Other “Rest of State” Counties	$98	$31	$140	

A copy of the mass notice sent to recipients is attached.  If the notice does not print properly and a hard copy is needed, please request a faxed copy via the contacts listed above.  Please note that the attached mass notice is also being used to introduce the updated gross monthly income standards (130% of poverty level) to those households subject to six-month reporting rules.