What You Need To Know?
The Colorado Food Assistance Program is funded by the U.S Department of Agriculture(USDA). The program is also called the Food Stamp Program and it provides assistance to households with poor income to buy food items.
Program Goals
The main aim of the Colorado Food Assistance Program is to provide the underprivileged families living on a fixed budget with an opportunity to improve their food quality. It helps them add valuable nutrition to their diet by purchasing food that is healthy and nutritious. This leads them to live a healthy and self- sustaining lifestyle subsequently increasing the quality of life of the people in the state.
Working Process
The eligible families are linked with government agencies, nutritionists, local community-based organizations. These organizations make sure the families are fully educated about the program so that they can approach the application process in a well-informed manner. This helps families to make adequate decisions to take full benefit from the largest hunger preventive program in the country.
The beneficiaries are provided with an electronic card similar to that of an ATM card which they can use in the various food stores approved by the government.
Are You Eligible?
The applicant needs to meet the following requirements to be able to apply for the Colorado Food Assistance program
- The candidate has to be a permanent resident of the state of Colorado to be eligible for the Colorado SNAP
- The candidate must have a US citizenship or be a legal alien to receive the Food Stamp benefits.
- The candidate must have a social security number (SSN)
- The candidate must have a job (if the age lies between the age of 21-59 and doesn’t have kind of disability)
Other factors that are taken into account while evaluating the eligibility of the candidate for the Food Assistance Program include
- Number of members in the household
- Total gross income of the household
The amount of the maximum gross income level before taxes should be equal or less than,
In case, the household size is greater than 8 members, an additional amount of $5746 is considered per member. The amount of annual income level might change time to time depending on the changes in laws and regulations. Therefore, you should keep in touch with your local managing agencies to get recent information regarding the Colorado Food Assistance Program.
You can also visit the official Colorado SNAP website to check if you qualify for the program. The applicant you will be asked to mention certain information including
- Household income
- VA and social security payments
- Utility bill
- Child support expenses
- Day-care expenses
- Medical bills, if you are older than 60, or disabled
- Other benefit programs you have applied to
- Any other payments
The amount of the benefit received by each household through the Colorado Food Assistance Program might vary depending on the need. More underprivileged families would receive a large amount to properly afford a sufficient diet.
How To Apply?
There are multiple ways to apply for the Colorado Food Assistance Program (SNAP). It is important to check your eligibility for the program before applying. The different methods you can use to apply for the program are
Apply Online
You can make your application online by visiting Colorado PEAK where you will be provided with all the necessary information. This website provides easy and fast online services to the citizens of Colorado.
You can also download the application form through the Food Assistance Application website. By clicking on the website you will be directed to the Department of Agriculture page. Here you can find the application form and apply for the program. It is important to fill the application as accurately and truthfully as possible because providing false information can lead you to penalties. Once the application is submitted you cannot change it hence it is advisable to be careful while filling out the application form.
Once you have filled out the application form you can return it to food stamp office either by email, mail or fax.
Apply through the local office
Visit the SNAP’s Contact Us page to find a SNAP office in your area. After you find an office you can submit the form by hand along with other required documents.
For Further Information?
In case of queries or any extra data required, information about the Colorado Food Assistance is available on the Food Assistance Program website. The website provides information regarding the program policies and guidelines to applicants to help the get a better understating of the Colorado SNAP. Furthermore, you can take assistance from the SNAP’s Contact Us page to locate a SNAP office in your county. This makes the applying process very flexible for the applicants who can use any of the above-mentioned methods to apply for the Colorado Food Stamp program. Visit Benefits by State for more insights.