Transcript DSHS UPDATES - Parenthelp123

Cyndi Joyce
 In
2009, Washington gave households who did
not pay utilities separate from their rent or
mortgage $1 in Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds.
 Getting
$1 in LIHEAP meant these households
could take the highest utility deduction.
Taking the highest deduction meant getting
higher benefits.
 Congress
raised the amount of LIHEAP a
household had to get to $20 to take the
highest deduction in the 2014 Farm Bill.
 About
200,000 Washington households were
affected. These households lost up to $90
per month in food assistance.
 This
cut will affect people who do not pay
for heating and cooling separately from rent
or mortgage.
 This
cut will not be permanent. Benefit
allotments for those households will be
restored in late January.
 DSHS
sent out a Flyer to Basic Food
households whose benefits will be cut on
September 15th.
 Households
NOT receiving the Flyer are:
Recipients receiving SUA
 WASHCAP recipients
 Recipients that receive $1 or less in benefits
 Receipts that receive the maximum benefit
allotment already

 In
October these households will receive a
notice that tells them how much Food
Stamps they will get in November and
December.
 November
cut.
and December benefits will be
 Benefits
 This
will go back up in January 2015.
will happen in two stages.
 Households
will get the lower benefit
amount. Later in the month, they will get a
supplemental payment. This supplemental
payment will bring them back up to what
they were getting before the November cut.
 Beginning
in February, these households will
be back where they were in October.
 Urge
clients to contact DSHS immediately to
provide this information so they will continue
to qualify for higher benefits with NO months
of reduced benefits by September 30th.
 Families
should contact DSHS if they do not
receive two benefit deposits in January 2015.


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
The Y or N
on:
HeatElectricPhoneNone-
calculates the utility estimate based
SUA
LUA
TUA
ZUA
When the financial worker determines what
utility standard a household is eligible for the
system will automatically calculate the
deduction.
What is BFET?
 The
mission of BFET is to provide training
and education with a goal of assisting clients
in attaining a living wage career. Basic Food
Employment & Training (BFET) services are
available from all WA State community and
technical colleges as well as many noncollege community based organization (CBO)
contractors.
How does a Basic Food client receive BFET services?

The DSHS staff may provide the client with basic
information about BFET as well as contact
information for Colleges and CBOs.

If the student is enrolling in college and appears
eligible for BFET, but is not yet on Basic Food, the
college will fill out a referral to DSHS informing
the student has been accepted into BFET; upon
approval of Basic Food benefits, the client should
be considered an eligible student.
Who can receive BFET services?
 Most
clients who receive federally funded
Basic Food (SNAP) and are at least 16 years
old can receive BFET services. Even clients
with college education may benefit from
retraining or job search services.
 The
following are not eligible:
Clients who receive TANF
 or the State Food Assistance Program (FAP) are not eligible to
receive BFET.

How does a student become eligible for Basic
Food through BFET?
 If
a client appears to be an ineligible student,
the financial worker should give the client
basic information about BFET to help decide if
they could become eligible for Basic Food.
 BFET
recipients who are college students are
typically eligible students (pending other
Basic Food eligibility factors).
 www.basicfoodet.org
Current BFET Providers Scope of Services
 www.SBCTC.ctc.edu
Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges

WAC 388-444-0015
How can the Basic Food Employment and Training (BF E&T)
program help me find work?