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ESA SNAP Policy Manual 182 For residents certified on their own behalf, SNAP benefits may either be returned to the GLA to be used to purchase meals served either communally or individually to eligible residents or retained and used to purchase and prepare food for their own consumption. The GLA may purchase and prepare food to be consumed by eligible residents on a group basis if residents normally obtain their meals at a central location as part of the GLA’s service or if meals are prepared at a central location for delivery to the individual residents. However, if personalized meals are prepared and paid for with SNAP benefits, the GLA must ensure that the resident’s SNAP benefits are used for meals intended for that resident. If a group of residents have been certified as one household and have returned the benefits to the GLA to use, the departing residents will be given a pro rata share of one-half of the allotment if leaving prior to the 16th day of the month. Legal Authority Residents of a group living arrangement (federal): 7 USC § 2012(k) and (m)(5), 7 USC § 2019, 7 CFR § 273.11(f) 14.5 Survivors of Domestic Violence Living in Temporary Shelters A shelter for battered persons is a public or private nonprofit residential facility that serves battered persons and their children (see exceptions in Section 2.7, Ineligible Household Members). If such a facility serves other individuals, a portion of the facility must be set aside on a long-term basis to serve only battered persons and their children. Shelter residents who are included in households already certified for SNAP may apply for and, if otherwise eligible, participate as a separate household if the certified household listing them as members also contains the person who abused them. Residents may receive an allotment as a separate household only once a month. ESA must take prompt action to ensure that the former household’s eligibility or allotment reflects the change in the household’s composition. Shelter residents who apply as a separate household will be certified solely on the basis of their income and resources and the expenses for which they are responsible. They must be certified without regard to the income, resources and expenses of their former household. Payments made by shelter residents to the shelter for a room must be considered shelter expenses to determine the excess shelter deduction. Jointly held resources are considered inaccessible if the resources are jointly owned by a shelter resident and members of their former household and if the shelter resident’s access to the value of the resources is dependent on the agreement of a joint owner who still resides in the former household.

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