APNewsBreak: Indiana says it will no longer count food stamps when calculating other benefits
By Charles Wilson, APWednesday, July 21, 2010
Indiana changes food stamp policy that drew fire
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana says it will no longer reduce a state grocery benefit paid to hundreds of developmentally disabled people simply because they receive food stamps.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration spokesman Marcus Barlow said Tuesday that state officials decided to change the policy Monday after discussions with the U.S. Food and Nutrition Service.
Advocates and legal expert said the 10-year-old policy was a clear violation of federal law that says food stamps can’t be counted against other benefits.
The state’s practice was the target of a lawsuit filed this month on behalf of a 26-year-old autistic Indianapolis man who is in a state-run program aimed at helping developmentally disabled people live on their own.
