May 26, 2010

Introduction to SAILIntroduction to SAILIntroduction to SAILIntroduction to SAILMaryland’s Online Application System

The Coalition for a Healthy Maryland includes:The Coalition for a Healthy Maryland includes:The Coalition for a Healthy Maryland includes:The Coalition for a Healthy Maryland includes:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Human Resources (MD DHR),

Capital Area Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Maryland Hunger Solutions,

Seedco, and SHARE Food Network

Coalition for a Healthy Maryland Lunch-time Webinar:

Purpose:

• To assist Community Based Organizations with SAIL (Service Access and Information Link) to help low income Maryland residents apply for the Food Supplement Program and other Social Service benefits.*

* Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is the federal name and the Food Supplement Program (FSP) is the state name for what was formerly called Food Stamps.

Welcome to SAIL• The address for SAIL is https://www.marylandsail.org/

Use the navigation bar on the left for:

Information

Test eligibility

Apply for benefits

Report changes

Complete redet

Becoming a community partner

Find local food pantries and shelters

Find local health offices

Save time by printing verification

forms

Ask questions

Medicare part D

Link to FNS and free nutritional literature

Register as a Community Partner

*The current contact is

Joyce Westbrook (410) 238-1299.

Click on “Become a Community Partner” and follow steps to register or de-register.

Individuals can start from “Am I eligible” or “Start/update an

application”.

Community Organizations should log-in before beginning an

application to ensure they receive credit for the application.

Filing an Application

SAIL is user friendly and has many drop down menus and prompts to assist you in

entering the correct information.

SAIL will immediately assign an “S” number. It is important

to keep this number to reference or re-enter your application.

You can submit an application at any time as long as it contains the name, address, and

signature of a responsible household member. Completing the application is less error-prone.

Expedited Food Supplement Program

Expedited Food Supplement Program

• If otherwise eligible, the following households must receive expedited service within 7 calendar days:

– Households with less than $150 gross monthly income and who have $100 or less in liquid resources, or

– Households whose combined gross income and liquid resources are less than the household’s monthly rent or mortgage and utilities, including entitlement to the SUA or LUA, as appropriate, or

– Certain Migrant or seasonal farmworkers • The amount of expedited food benefits is based on what is

declared by the customer.• The only verification required is identity.

– This does not have to be a picture ID.– This can be a collateral contact.

Students

Student definition:Individuals between the ages of 18 and 50 who attend an institution of higher learning at least half-time are ineligiblefor the Food Supplement Program, unless they:

• Are employed 20 hours a week (no averaging), or• Are participating in federally funded work-study program, or• Are receiving TCA, or• Have a child under six, or• Have a child under 12 for whom they cannot find adequate

childcare, or• Are a single parent in school full-time and have a child under

12, or• Are physically or mentally unfit for employment, or• Be placed in school through JTPA or Work Opportunities

• Though undocumented immigrants are not eligible for FSP, they can apply on behalf of others in the home.

• Documented immigrants must provide verification to be eligible.

• The verification must contain an alien number.

Immigrants� The following immigrants are eligible for the Food

Supplement Program:• Asylee• Refugee• Cuban/Haitian entrant• Immigrant whose deportation has been withheld• An Amerasian• A victim of severe trafficking in persons• Border crossing Native Americans• Certain Hmong and Laotian tribe members

� Lawful Permanent Residents, Parolees, Aliens Granted Conditional Entry and Battered Spouses and Battered children may be eligible if:

• They have been a qualified alien in the country for 5 or more years, or• They are receiving a payment for blindness or disability, or• They are under age 18, or• They were born on or before 8/22/31 and were lawfully in the

country on or before 8/22/96, or• They can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters, or• They have a military connection

• A drop down menu displays for each asset listed.

• See following pages for countable assets for the FSP.

RESOURCE LIMITSfor the Food Supplement Program

• The only countable resources for FSP are checking or savings accounts and cash on hand.

• A household may have up to $2000 in resources and be eligible for food supplement benefits.

• A household which contains an elderly (age 60 or older) or a disabled member may have up to $3000 in assets and be eligible for food stamps.

• Most FSP households have no resource limit because their resources are not counted (categorically eligible).

Categorical Eligibility• Households that are Categorically Eligible do not

have to verify resources because their resources are not countable.

• Categorically Eligible household are not subject to the gross and net income tests.

• The following households are categorically eligible:– Households that receive TCA (TANF), SSI, TDAP or PAA– Households that meet the TCA definition of a family and

have income of less than 200% of the federal poverty level

2010 Monthly Federal Poverty Guidelines:

• HH size 200% 130%

• 1 $1734 $1174

• 2 2334 1579

• 3 2934 1984

• 4 3534 2389

• 5 4134 2794

• 6 4734 3200

• 7 5334 3605

• 8 5934 4010

+$600 +406Each Additional Person

The gross amount of countable earnings should be entered.

DEPENDENT CARE DEDUCTION• Dependent care deductions are allowed when the household

is paying someone outside the home for care of the following:

� Children

� Elderly

� Disabled

• To be eligible for this deduction, households must incur the expense while the household members are:

– Working

– In training for work

– Looking for work

– Temporarily absent from work, planning to return to the same job and dependent care payments are necessary to continue employment

Child Support Payments as a Deduction

• Customers who pay legally obligated child support are eligible for a deduction.

• The payments must be verified as both paid and legally obligated.

A drop down menu will display for any unearned income

selected.

Excluded Income• Earnings of elementary or high school student 17 or younger, who is

not living independently are excluded.NOTE: The earned income of high school students living on their own is counted

• Income received too infrequently to be anticipated is excluded if $30/ quarter or less in earned income or $200/quarter or less inunearned income.

• Educational assistance• Loans• Money received and used for a non-household member• Non-recurring lump sum payments• Reimbursements• In-kind income• Vendor payments• Child Support received by TCA recipients• Income excluded by a federal statute• Charitable contributions• Repayments• Earned income tax credits• Reverse mortgages• HUD utility reimbursements

Medical Deductions

Medical Expenses are only allowed for individuals 60 or older or those receiving a disability payment. Medical Expenses must be verified to be an allowable deduction.

Medical expenses that are acceptable include:Medical expenses that are acceptable include:• Medical care• Dental care• Hospitalization• Nursing care• Prescription drugs• Glasses• Over the counter medication and medical supplies. These must be prescribed by a

licensed health care professional.• Health and hospitalization insurance premiums• Dentures• Hearing aids• Prosthetics• Cosmetic surgery- if prescribed• Psychotherapy• Monthly payments for treatment which occurs prior to the certification period• Cost and maintenance of a seeing eye or hearing animal

Food; Vet bills etc.• Transportation costs to and from doctors and hospitals

Tolls; Parking; Mileage etc

Click here to add people to the application

Who must be in the household?

• All who purchase and prepare food together

• Spouses who reside together

• Children under 22 who reside with a parent

• Children under 18 who reside with and are under parental control of a caretaker other than a parent

• Foster Care children can be excluded or included. If the child is included on the FSP, the foster care income must be counted.

Shelter Deductions

SHELTER COST INCLUDE:

• Rent, mortgage, second mortgage as billed to the customer.• Ground rent• Condo fees• Association fees• Insurance on the structure if billed separately from the

mortgage.• Property taxes if billed separately

CANNOT INCLUDE

• Rent Worked Off (In-kind)• Security Deposit• Maintenance costs• Repairs from normal wear and tear• Any portion paid by Section 8, Public Housing or RAP

Utilities

Utility Allowances• Standard Utility Allowance (SUA):

– The customer must be paying for heat or air conditioning or receive MEAP to be eligible for the SUA

– Air conditioning can be central air or window air conditioners– Using supplemental heaters does not constitute “paying for heat”

• Limited Utility Allowance (LUA):– To be eligible for LUA, a household must incur at least two utility

costs. – They can be any two utility costs. (other than heating or air

conditioning)

• Telephone Allowances:– This is a flat rate per month– The customer will not receive the a separate phone allowance if

eligible for the SUA or the LUA

The utilities do not have to be in the name of the customer and can be a flat rate.

Convicted Drug Felons must comply with substance abuse counseling to be

eligible for FSP.

Signatures can be faxed, mailed

or done electronically.

An electronic signature will

ensure the greatest benefit, since

benefits are paid from the day the

signature is received by the local

DSS (date of application.)

The electronic signature must be

done by entering the name

exactly as it was initially entered

on the SAIL application.

Department of Human Resources

Maryland’s Human Services Agency

Suzanne DiggsProgram Analyst

E-mail: sdiggs@dhr.state.md.us

Phone: 410-767-4369

Please join us for our next webinar:

Energy Assistance

Brought to you by The Coalition for A Healthy Maryland

and Energy Advocates

Time and date to be announced

For more information, please visit www.mdhungersolutions.org

or

contact Cassandra Kaiser:

410-528-0021 ● ckaiser@mdhungersolutions.org