Yes! If your income and cash and savings are low enough, you can get emergency benefits. This is called "expedited service." 106 C.M.R. § 365.800. It is DTA's obligation to screen all households for expedited service. If you are eligible for expedited service, DTA must get you your benefits within seven (7) days after you apply and are screened for expedited.
You are eligible for expedited service (benefits within within 7 days) if:
- you have $150 or less in gross income for the month and $100 or less in cash and savings, or
- your rent (or mortgage) plus the utilities (using the Standard Utility Allowance for your household) are higher than your combined gross monthly income and cash and savings, or
- you are a migrant household with $100 or less in cash and savings. 106 C.M.R. §§ 365.810-365.830.
If you meet one of these criteria, and you only need to provide proof of identity (who you are), you can get your benefits within 7 days. If you do not have other proof of identity, DTA can check your identity through your SSN or call someone (such as a friend, relative, or agency worker) to check your identity. 106 C.M.R. § 365.830. Your social security number (SSN) is sufficient proof of identity if DTA is able to confirm it through the State Verification and Exchange System (SVES). To get SNAP/food stamp benefits for more than one month, you will have to provide proofs of all the other eligibility factors. 106 C.M.R. § 365.850(B). See What proofs (verifications) do I need?
Expedited SNAP/food stamps are not extra benefits— they are just a way to get you your first month's benefits faster. The amount you get in expedited SNAP/food stamp benefits is based on the income you received or anticipate receiving in the month of application, even if the income is from a terminated source, such as the last paycheck from your former employer. 106 C.M.R. § 365.840. Regular ongoing SNAP/food stamp benefits do not count income from a terminated source.
Advocacy Reminder
- If you need expedited SNAP/food stamps right away, it may be best to apply in person at the local DTA office. DTA is supposed to contact you by phone and screen you for expedited, but sometimes that does not happen, or you and DTA play phone tag. If you go to the DTA office in person, you must be screened that same day. If you cannot go to DTA, be sure to give enough phone numbers on your application for DTA to reach you (including helping agencies that can reach you).
- If DTA tells you that you can only get expedited SNAP/food stamps benefits once, contact Legal Services. DTA cannot refuse to give you expedited benefits a second time if you reapply and need them as long as you verified all the eligibility factors the last time or it's been at least a year since your last expedited benefits.
Additional Policy Guidance on Expedited Benefits
Additional Policy Guidance on Expedited Benefits
- Expedited benefits can be issued more than once if the applicant previously verified required information, or if more than a year has elapsed since receipt of expedited. DTA Transitions (Dec. 2010).
- Even though asset test is eliminated for most "categorically eligible" households under 200% FPL, households seeking expedited benefits must give DTA information on the amount of liquid assets available. DTA Transitions (July 2008)
- Expedited benefits should not be denied for lack of proof of identity if DTA can verify SSN through State Verification and Exchange System (SVES). DTA Transitions (May 2007)
- Worker should screen for expedited at time of first contact with applicatn— either in person or by phone. Date of contact is start date of 7-day period for expedited. DTA Field Operations Memo 2006-30 (July 10, 2006)
- Instructions to speed up processing SNAP benefits for homeless applicants who are not otherwise expedited. DTA Field Operations Memo 2000-35 (Dec. 19, 2000)
- Proof of non-citizen status is not required for expedited benefits; declaration of applicant is sufficient. DTA Transitions (Dec. 1997)
- See also BEACON User's Guide, Ch. IV-A, pp. 9-10, on DTA workers screening for expedited and calculation of income in month of application.
Produced by Patricia Baker, Laura Gallant, Deborah Harris, Rochelle Hahn Massachusetts Law Reform Institute Last updated January 2011
