Yes, you should apply for SNAP (food stamp) benefits immediately.  You should ask for “expedited” benefits, to get them processed as fast as possible. If you provide a verified ID, then the Expedited Application should be handled very quickly.

The federal government has given States waivers during the coronavirus emergency of some of the normal bureaucratic requirements, such as proof from the employer about loss of job.  If you run into any delay or other problem trying to get Expedited SNAP benefits, apply for help from Legal Aid and we may be able to assist.

Right now it’s hard to know the “best” way to contact DHHR to apply for Expedited SNAP benefits.

• You can contact the Customer Service Center at 1-877-716-1212, which would avoid having to go to the local office. But there may be a lot of people calling that number.
• There is an online application process. Click this link to start the online application.  We do not know how long DHHR is taking to process online applications now with a reduced staff.
• Or you can go to your local DHHR office.  You can find your local office on DHHR’s website.

Yes.  Whenever you have a change of financial situation you can contact DHHR to have your SNAP benefits adjusted.  DHHR won’t know you have lost income unless you tell them. Also, even during the COVID-19 Emergency, you are required to report any increase in income.  So if you report a loss of income now, and then later find a job and your income goes up, you will need to report that to DHHR.

No. Over the last few years Congress suspended the three month time limit for SNAP for the duration of the public health crisis, but that may be changing soon.

You should tell DHHR that your hours have gone down (or disappeared completely) because of COVID-19.  However, during the public health emergency DHHR will not penalize anyone for not meeting the ABAWD work requirement.  You have to tell DHHR that you’re not working and why, but you will not be cut off during the coronavirus emergency. If a worker (or the DHHR computer) makes a mistake and you get penalized for not meeting your work requirement, apply for help from Legal Aid and we will see if we can assist you.

DHHR is still conducting reviews of all SNAP cases.  They are not requiring “in-person” visits, but rather they are scheduling all interviews for the reviews by telephone.  If you need assistance scheduling an interview and cannot get through to your local DHHR, you should call DHHR customer service at 1-877-716-1212.  Or contact Legal Aid of West Virginia to apply for help if you can’t get through to DHHR.

As part of the SNAP program, recipients between the ages of 16-59 are required to register for work. In West Virginia, to meet this requirement, eligible SNAP recipients must register with Workforce West Virginia once a year. Once SNAP recipients register, they are required to contact Workforce West Virginia every three months to update the agency on their employment status.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many SNAP recipients have been unable to contact Workforce West Virginia either by telephone or the agency’s website. So to continue SNAP benefits to those in need, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (“DHHR”) has voluntarily waived the registration requirement IF the recipient contacts their local DHHR office and requests a good cause exemption because they cannot get through to register with Workforce WV. DHHR has stated that it plans to continue the registration waiver until the federal public health emergency (PHE) expires.  Read this article to learn more if you need help requesting good cause.

In the normal SNAP (food stamp) program, there is a maximum amount that can be paid based on household size.  Not all households get the maximum amount, though, depending on income and some other factors. Since April 2020 during the COVID-19 Emergency, all SNAP recipients have been receiving the maximum amount of benefits each month.  This extra SNAP is ending in March 2023. 

Be prepared.  When you get your EBT deposit in March, check your balance. Not everyone will get less benefits, but many people will.

Budget Carefully. You do not need to spend all your SNAP (food stamps) now. You can keep food stamps on your card as long as you use the card once about every 9 months. If you can save benefits from February to spend in a later month, it may help you in March when you may not get the extra benefits.

The COVID Relief Bill passed in December 2020 extends SNAP eligibility to college students who are eligible for a federal or state work study program or who have an expected family contribution of $0.

The federal government has told States they can be “flexible” in recognizing that the coronavirus emergency may interfere with the ability of a WV Works participant to meet their Personal Responsibility Contract (PRC).

We at Legal Aid believe that a perfect example for flexibility is a person who lost their job because of COVID-19. DHHR should recognize situations like that as “Good Cause” for not meeting the requirements of the Personal Responsibility Contract. That’s just one example.

If you can’t meet your work requirements because of COVID-19, contact your worker at DHHR. Let her know exactly what your situation is. Perhaps you have to stay home to take care of kids because their school or day care is closed. Perhaps your employer’s business was shut down due to an outbreak. Whatever the reason, tell your DHHR worker up front. Don’t wait for some review somewhere down the line, when the worker might say “but you should have told me about this.” We recommend that give your worker the full facts up front.

We do know that DHHR has told workers to be flexible, but we don’t know what instructions DHHR may have given to help workers understand what it means tp “be flexible” in their cases. We don’t know if front-line workers will assess cases the way we do. We will have to wait and see what happens.

If you get sanctioned for not fulfilling your work requirement, and you feel the reason was due to some aspect of the COVID-19, you should apply for our services and we may be able to assist you.