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In Maryland and Virginia, roughly 11 percent of the population receives an average $130 monthly payment from the government to help pay for groceries this year.
Maryland gave out nearly $1 billion in food stamp benefits to 645,349 people in fiscal 2011, while Virginia distributed $1.3 billion among 841,299 recipients.
The benefits, paid for with state and federal dollars, are available to anyone who meets certain income requirements dictated by each state.
To qualify for food stamps in Maryland, a family’s total income must not exceed 200 percent of the poverty level, or roughly $44,700 annually for a family of four. The eligibility threshold drops by roughly $15,645 in Virginia to $29,055, or 130 percent of the poverty level.
Applicants in both states may be eligible for a number of deductions, however, including 20 percent of earned income and $147 to $155 per person for each dependent. Additional benefits are given for medical expenses related to elderly or disabled individuals, utility costs, and child support payments.
Virginia also limits eligibility to three months for some applicants if they are unemployed, between the ages of 18 and 50, and able to work.
No illegal immigrants are eligible to receive food stamp benefits.
People interested in receiving the benefits must apply through their local Social Security office and supply documentation that verifies their eligibility. Applicants are subjected to an in-person interview and sometimes a home visit.
The average monthly benefit in Virginia and Maryland was $129 and $130, respectively, in fiscal 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. – Hayley Peterson
