What Do You Need To Know?
In Kentucky, the Food Benefit Program is a food stamp program also known as EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer). It comes under the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) Kentucky. It provides assistance related to healthy food choices to households and individuals with earnings that are categorized under low-income levels. Through this program, the households are educated in food preparation and the importance of healthy and nutritious food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the Kentucky Food Benefits through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) department.
In Kentucky, the food stamp benefits are provided to the eligible candidates through EBT Cards (Electronic Benefits Transfer). The EBT Card is similar to an ATM or credit card. The selected families and individuals can use these electronic cards to buy food-related products from various stores that are authorized by the government across the state of Kentucky.
The candidates are informed about their selection through their online account within 30 days of applying. It is advisable to apply for the Kentucky Food Benefits/EBT before the deadline ends so that you and your family are not deprived of the benefits of the program.
What food items you can buy?
Food that can be bought using the Kentucky Food Benefits/EBT card include,
- Cereals
- Fruits
- Bread
- Dairy product
- Vegetable and other such items
What food items are forbidden?
The eligible households are forbidden to buy certain products using the EBT card like
- Medicines
- Hot restaurant food
- Paper food
- Cleaning products
- Cosmetics
- Beverages, alcohol, and tobacco
- Instantly consumable food
Are You Eligible?
The applicant needs to meet the following requirements to be able to apply for the Kentucky Food Benefits/EBT like,
- The candidate needs to be a permanent resident of the state of Kentucky to be eligible for the program
- The candidate must have a US citizenship or be a legal alien to receive the Kentucky Food 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 any kind of disability)
- The total bank limit of the applicant should be under $$2,001 ( both saving and checking)
- If the candidate is sharing a household with a person, is a senior citizen (60 years or older) or disabled then the current bank account limit should be below $3,001 (both saving and checking)
The number of members in a household and total household income is also very important factors while considering a candidate for the Kentucky Food Benefits/EBT.
The amount of the maximum gross income level before taxes must equate
| Size Of Household | Maximum Annual Income Level ($) |
| 1 | 16237 |
| 2 | 21983 |
| 3 | 27729 |
| 4 | 33475 |
| 5 | 39221 |
| 6 | 44967 |
| 7 | 50713 |
| 8 | 56459 |
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 from time to time. Therefore, it is a good step to contact the managing agency in your area. They will be able to provide you with the most recent and up-to-date guidelines about the Kentucky Food Benefits/EBT.
Documentation Requirements
Other than that, there are certain documents than an applicant is required to have during the application process
- Proof of utility bills
- Bank statement of current months
- Social Security Number of all members in the household
- Medical expense receipts
- Proof of the candidate’s income (pay stubs etc)
- Identification numbers
- Driver’s license
- Immigration status
How To Apply?
Once you check the requirement for the Kentucky Food Benefits/EBT, the next step is the application process. There are many ways to submit the application form to the food stamp office that is responsible for administrating the Kentucky Food Benefits/EBT.
The application form can be accessed through the following website
You can fill out the application after creating an online account on the official website. Before filling the application form make sure you have all the required information to speed up the process. The website provides information regarding eligibility criteria and the application process. On the top right corner of the website, there are options to change the language of the page. This makes it approachable to a bigger audience. Once you have filled out the application form you can return it to the local office either by
- Fax
- In-person
In case, you wish to return the application form in person, you will have to locate the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) office in your area. You will meet the program representative who will take you through the whole process. You can then submit your application form along with the other required documents.
For Further Information
In case you have other queries please call the helpline at 1-800-372-2973 or 1-800-627-472 (for TTY users). If you wish to learn more about the Kentucky Food Benefits you can visit the https://benefind.ky.gov/ website. The DCBS office will make sure that you are provided with up-to-date information regarding the program to make the application process less daunting. You can choose any of the above options to get the application form and apply either in person or online however you feel comfortable.