Income Limits for Food Assistance

• The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services says that Ohio families must be living at or below the 130 percent federal poverty guidelines to qualify for food assistance. This means that your family's total income cannot be more than 1.3 times the federal poverty level for a family of your size. For example, the federal poverty level as of 2010 is $22,050 per year for a family of four. Thus, an Ohio family of this size must not make more than $28,665 per year to qualify for food stamps.
  
  

Exceptions

• If you make more than 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, you still may qualify for food stamps under certain circumstances. If an elderly or disabled person lives with you, you may deduct medical expenses for that person from your gross income. Talk to a case worker at the ODJFS to find out whether you qualify for food stamps if you are in this situation.
  
  

How Benefits Are Calculated

• If you qualify for food stamps, the ODJFS then takes into account your other expenses, such as rent or mortgage, utility payments and child care payments. If you have a large number of necessary expenses, you will get a larger benefit than if you have a small number of such expenses.
  
  

Emergency Food Assistance Program

• Ohio offers emergency food assistance for residents who live at 200 percent or more of the federal poverty level. This means that you make no more than twice the federal poverty level. As of 2010, a family of four in Ohio qualifies for emergency food assistance if they make less than $44,100.