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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1975)
- , r i -r' r r 11 Food it" 00 NOT SFiNDLE DO t40T FOLD E 31875765 B amps i - . -,.v - - -. 1 i 11 " M i s S. if I ' If f s if v,- .1 , ' . ... During 1967, the first year of the food stamp program, over 50,000 persons nationwide received stamps. Yet in Lancaster County during January of this year, 3,337 persons received stamps, according to Russ Wallace, Nebraska food stamp director. 1 1 4 1 ! I 7 . 1 ,i r, 1 ? r xi VJk. I I -..4 - w -; 2:w. Afncaltaral Acensince tzczvr uNoert conditions PRtscwieeo y the sccritarv or AO,cuV Healthier Families . if Photo by Steve Boerner Student eligibility affected by stamp regulation change By Deb Gray Student participation in the food stamp program may be stymied by a new federal regulation that goes into effect March 10. The government, in an effort to shave $100 million from the $6 billion food stamp program will no longer accept applicants whose parents are paying for more than half of their education and who register them as income tax deductions. No figures are available on the number of students in Lancaster County now receiving food stamps, according to Fay Shalla, supervisor of food stamps for Lancaster County. But, whatever that number, Charles Thone, First District Congressman, would like it reduced. Thone, who is ranking minority member in the House Agricultural Committee, said too many students getting food stamps are not poor. $100 million saving "In our subcommittee we would have moved quickly to end situations such as that in Clark County, Ga., where 40 per cent of food stamp recipients are students at the University of Georgia," Thone said in a newsletter this month. "We hoped to save more than $100 million per year of your tax funds by barring college students from middle and upper income families from obtaining food stamps," he added. Beginning in March, Nebraska's food stamp offices will refuse students whose parents claim them as income tax deductions, according to Russ Wallace, director of the Nebraska food stamp program. Students now receiving food stamps must be recertified for the program by May 10, he said. This change will bring more paperwork into an already harried welfare office, Wallace said. The welfare office will now check not only a student's records, but also into his parent's financial status. Dependents not eligible "If the student's family claims him as an income tax deduction and are not eligible for food stamps themselves, then the student won't be eligible," Wallace said. The length of time involved in receiving food stamps, Wallace said, depends upon "how big a crowd is at the welfare office at the time you apply." After filling out application forms, the applicant makes an appointment to discuss his eligibility with a welfare officer. The Lancaster County office is at 2200 St. Mary Ave. At this appointment, the applicant must present proof of his independent status, income and expenses. The county has to approve or reject an applicant within 30 days after he applies, Wallace said. Each month, a food stamp recipient talks with a welfare officer who reevaluates that person's need and assesses how much he pays that month for his food stamps. 50 students affected Shalla estimated 50 students in Lancaster County may be affected by the change in regulations. Under old regulations, a student could receive food stamps if his adjusted income was less than $194 a month. Wallace said the adjusted income is the total income (money from paients, loans, scholarships and giants) minus deductions for such things as tuition, medical bills and any rent Or utility expenses comprising 30 per cent of the total income. If a student's income after deductions is between Wednesday, february 26, 1975 $0 and $19.99 a month, he dcesn't pay for $46 worth of food stamps, Wallace said. Applications lost Eldon Hicks is one student in this category. "We're so poor we don't have to pay anything," he said. "My roommate and I get out $84 of stamps free. But even with food stamps we're eating on about $1.20 a day compared with $2.25 for the dorm residents." Food stamps are worthwhile if the applicant prepares for bureaucratic hassles, Hicks said. The first time he went to the welfare office in November, he said he and his roommate waited four hours before anyone could see them. Later, he said, the welfare office lost their forms and he and his roommate went through the whole process again. Since they have been on the program, Hicks said he and his roommate have had a different welfare worker for their monthly appointments. This means rehashing old ground, he said, for each new person is unfamiliar with their records. Bills paid Because of the number of food stamps recipients, Hicks said his appointment was in late February to receive his foodstamps for this month. "After paying tuition and everything we were (Continued on p. 9) f I 7 w X s Photo by Kevin Htgley Fay Shalla, Lancaster County food stamp supervisor. Ignorance of Food Stamp program is inexcusable, says director By John Kalkowski "You can't shove food stamps down people's throat," says James Moore, director of the food stamp field office at 225 N. Corner. Eligible persons must apply for the stamps themselves, Moore said. Nobody in Nebraska should be igiioianl of Ui6 fouu itanip program, nC Salu. i one of the most well-publicized aid programs in this country, using newspapers, television, radio and most important, word of mouth, Moore said. According to Moore, many persons take advantage of foodstamps. In January, he said, $114,354 worth of food stamps were given to 3,337 persons in Lancaster County. Those persons paid $55,521 for the food stamps. The remaining $58,833 was paid by tax payers. The January figure for Douglas County were much higher than Lancaster County, he said. $957,721 worth of food stamps were given to 27,529 persons. Again, Moore said, the taxpayers paid 60 to 65 per cent of the food stamp tab. Number varies The number of persons on food stamps varies from month to month depending on economic and employment conditions, Moore said. According to a study Moore's office did in 1973, about 33 per cent of people receiving any public assistance in Nebraska also receive food stamps. But that number is deceptive, Moore said. The same study revealed that of 50 case studies don?, only 22 arc on food stamps at this time. Like the university, Moore said the food stamp program is not completely paid for by its participants. It is a losing operation paid for by the taxpayers, he said. daily nebraskan Moore added that the food stamp Droeram is doine its job of enabling low-income households to buy more food to improve their diets. Depending on the individual case, it can greatly increase the buying power of the participant's food dollar, he said. Illegal uses Macro said the major reasons for persons to go off food stamps is because they have found more or better employment or they would like to channel the money previously used on food stamps to buy other items. The food stamps are to be used only for food "which is fit for human consumption," he said. Although it has not happened in Nebraska, Moore said in some places, food stamps have been used to purchase used cars, as cash while shooting craps, or to pay someone to shovel snow. When participants can find a place to cash the food stamps in, Moore said the stamps "are just like cash." In Kentucky, he said, there is even a case of one individual who used food stamps to purchase a horse. The grocery stores which handle food stamps have stringent rules governing their use, according to Moore. If the stores break he rules, they can be dropped from the food stamp program. Rules broken There are many rules the grocery store can break, Moore said. The most common ones are allowing products other than food to be paid for with stamps, or trading the stamps for cash. There are no grocery stores disqualified now, Moore said. He added that it is rare for a store to be disqualified from the food stamp program. The food stamp field office is responsible for the administration of the food stamp program in a (Continued on p. 8) page 7