Current through September 24, 2024
The following tables show the income standards, food stamp
coupon allotment (Thrifty Food Plan), standard income deduction, maximum
shelter/dependent care deductions, and standard utility/telephone allowances to
be used in the Food Stamp Program to determine eligibility and level of
benefits. (Tables I through VII). Table VIII shows the maximum income level,
consolidated standard of need, and the possible standard payment amounts to be
used in the AFDC program to determine eligibility and level of benefits.
(1) Food Stamp Standards.
(a) Food Stamp Gross Monthly Income
Standards. The gross monthly income standard is used to determine whether a
household is eligible; it is not used to determine the actual amount of the
coupon allotment.
1. If the household's gross
monthly income (before deductions) exceeds the gross income standard for the
number of persons in the household, the household is not eligible for food
stamps.
2. If the household's gross
monthly income (before deductions) is equal to or less than the gross income
standard for the number of persons in the household, the household may be
eligible. At this point, the net income standard shall be applied to the
household's net income as instructed in
1240-01-04-.27(1)(b).
Table I
| No. of Persons in Household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Gross Income Standard | $1174 | $1579 | $1984 | $2389 | $2794 | $3200 | $3605 | $4010 | $4416 | $4822 |
For each additional member add $406
(b) Net Monthly Income
Standards-Food Stamps. The Net Monthly Income Standard is used to determine
whether a household is eligible. It is NOT used to determine the actual amount
of their coupon allotment. This standard applies to all households including
household containing a member who is elderly or disabled.
1. If a household's available income (after
exclusions and deductions) exceeds the Net Monthly Income Standard for the
number of persons in the household, a household is not eligible for Food
Stamps.
2. If a household's
available income (after exclusions and deductions) equals or is less than the
appropriate Net Monthly Income Standard for the number of persons in the
household, the household is eligible for a Food Stamp allotment.
Table II
| No. of Persons in Household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Maximum Net Income | $903 | $1215 | $1526 | $1838 | $2150 | $2461 | $2773 | $3085 | $3397 | $3709 |
For each additional member add $312
(c) Basis of Coupon Issuance -
Value of the Thrifty Food Plan. The Thrifty Food plan shows the maximum coupon
allotment that can be authorized for a household of any given size, and is used
to determine the actual amount of the coupons for which the household
qualifies.
1. Calculate 30% of a household's
available income (after exclusions and deductions).
2. Subtract that amount from the maximum
coupon allotment for the appropriate household size to determine the value of
the coupon allotment. The minimum allotment for one and two person households
is $16.00 even if thirty percent of those household's net income subtracted
from the Thrifty Food Plan is less than $16.00. For all other household's
sizes, the allotment is based on the actual amount derived from the preceding
calculations.
3. If after using the
appropriate formula the result ends in 1 through 99 cents, the amount shall be
rounded down to the nearest lower whole dollar. If the computation results in
an allotment of less than $10, then no issuance shall be made for the initial
month.
Table III
| No. of Persons in Household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Maximum Coupon Allotment | $200 | $367 | $526 | $668 | $793 | $952 | $1052 | $1202 | $1352 | $1502 |
(d)
Table IV-A Standard Deduction
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
| Standard Deduction | $142 | $142 | $142 | $153 | $179 | $205 |
Table IV-B Food Stamp Deductions
| Maximum Dependent Care No |
Limit |
| Maximum Shelter Deduction for
Non-Elderly/Disabled Households |
$458 |
| Maximum Shelter Deduction for
Elderly/Disabled Households |
No Maximum |
(e)
TABLE V-A Food Stamp Standard Utility Allowance
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 or more |
| Standard Utility Allowance | $314 | $326 | $338 | $350 | $360 | $372 | $384 | $396 | $408 | $419 |
Table V-B Food Stamp Basic Utility Allowance
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 or More |
| Basic Utility Allowance | $126 | $126 | $126 | $126 | $126 | $126 | $126 | $126 | $126 | $126 |
The Basic Utility Allowance is to be used for households who
are not eligible for the Standard Utility Allowance because they do not incur a
major heating or cooling expense, but who do incur utility costs such as
electricity for lighting, gas for cooking, water/sewerage, or garbage
pickup.
(f) TABLE VI
Food Stamp Standard Telephone Allowance
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 or More |
| Telephone Standard | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 |
(g)
The Homeless Shelter Standard may be used in determining eligibility and amount
of benefits. It is intended to offset such expenses as may reasonably be
expected to be incurred for households in which all members are homeless
individuals but are not receiving free shelter throughout the month.
TABLE VII Homeless Household Shelter Allowance
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 or more |
| Homeless Shelter Standard | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 | 143 |
1. A homeless
individual is an individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence,
or an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is:
(i) a supervised publicly or privately
operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations;
(ii) an institution that provides a temporary
residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized;
(iii) a temporary accommodation in the
residence of another individual if the accommodation in the residence is for no
more than 90 days; or
(iv) a public
or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping
accommodation for human beings.
(2) AFDC Standards.
(a) Consolidated Need Standard (CNS). The
Department has developed a consolidated standard of need based on size of the
assistance unit, which indicates the amount of income the assistance group
would need to meet subsistence living costs according to allowances set by the
state for items including food, clothing, fuel, lights, household operations,
personal incidentals and shelter. The CNS which determines a non-responsible
relative's eligibility to be included in an assistance unit, also is used as a
basis for determining the gross income standard and the standard payment
amount.
(b) Gross Income Standard.
This standard is set by federal law at 185% of the consolidated standard of
need. If the gross countable income of an assistance unit exceeds this
standard, then the assistance unit is not eligible for AFDC.
(c) Standard Payment Amount. Tennessee does
not meet 100% of need as defined by the Consolidated Need Standard. Rather, a
maximum payment by family size, dependent on funds available, is paid. An
assistance payment is determined as follows:
1. If the assistance unit's net income (after
allowable exclusions and deductions) equals or exceeds their consolidated need,
then the assistance unit is not eligible for AFDC.
2. If the assistance unit's net income is
less than their consolidated need, then the monthly grant amount is the smaller
of a maximum by family size (standard payment amount) or the deficit if it is
$10 or more. If the deficit is $1 - $9, the assistance unit is eligible for
Medicaid Only, and is deemed to be an AFDC recipient group.
3. The minimum monthly grant which can be
paid is $10. Assistance units otherwise eligible for grant less than $10 are
eligible for Medicaid benefits as deemed AFDC recipients.
(d) AFDC Need/Payment - Standards.
Table VIII
| Number of Persons in
Assistance Unit |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Gross Income Standard | 777 | 1110 | 1252 | 1289 | 1489 | 1507 | 1633 | 1655 | 1838 | 1875 |
| Consolidated Need Standard | 420 | 600 | 677 | 697 | 805 | 815 | 883 | 895 | 994 | 1014 |
| Standard Payment Amount | 95 | 142 | 185 | 226 | 264 | 305 | 345 | 386 | 425 | 467 |
| Minimum AFDC Payment $10 per month for
any assistance unit. |
| Number of Persons in
Assistance Unit |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| Gross Income Standard | 1929 | 1977 | 2020 | 2055 | 2083 | 2109 | 2131 | 2149 | 2162 | 2173 |
| Consolidated Need Standard | 1043 | 1069 | 1092 | 1111 | 1126 | 1140 | 1152 | 1162 | 1169 | 1175 |
| Standard Payment Amount | 508 | 549 | 589 | 630 | 670 | 711 | 750 | 790 | 831 | 871 |
| Minimum AFDC Payment $10 per month for
any assistance unit. |
The AFDC standard payment for an assistance unit of three (3)
persons represents 37.0% of the consolidated need for an assistance unit of
that size. The payments for units composed of different numbers of recipients
represent an upward or downward adjustment of the percentage in the preceding
sentence which is necessary to maintain the payment at a level not more or less
than that paid in fiscal Year 1993-1994.
(e) Reserved.
Authority: T.C.A. §§
4-5-201 et seq., 4-5-202, 71-1-105
and 71-5-304; 7 U.S.C.A. §2014 and 2017(a), 7 CFR §§ 272.9,
273.9 and 273.10, and PL
110-246, Title IV §§ 4102, 4103, and
4107 June 18, 2008 and PL
111-5, Division A, Title I §101, February 17,
2009.
