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What is the Food Assistance (Food Stamp) Program?
The Food Assistance (Food Stamp) program helps you to buy healthy and nutritious food for your family. You will receive an Ohio Direction Benefit Card or cash payment, which can be used at over 900 stores in Cuyahoga County.
The amount of Food Stamp Benefits you will receive depends on household size. Households are people who live together and fix and eat their meals together. A household can be one person or one family or a group of people who are not of the same family.
What Is The Ohio Direction Card?
Ohio Direction Card replaces food stamp coupons with a plastic card, which looks like an ATM card. You can use your Ohio Direction Card to buy groceries at stores taking part in the Ohio Direction Card Program. Cash Out is a different method of issuing Food Stamp benefits; with Cash Out, benefits are paid directly to you in a check. All members of the Food Stamp household must be age 65 or older or receive SSI in order to have the option.
How Do I Receive My Food Stamp Benefits With The Ohio Direction Card?
The Direction card is an ATM card. It keeps track of your Food Stamp Benefits. Each month, your benefits will be made available automatically based on your food stamp benefits issuance date. When using your card at the card terminal at the checkout stand, you will enter a 4 digit secret code. As you use your benefits, the Direction card will keep track of your balance, based on usage.
Your eligibility for Food Assistance benefits takes into account your income, household size, rent, utility payments, assets and other resources.
Household Size |
Maximum Gross Income Limit |
Maximum |
1 |
$1,127 |
$200 |
2 |
$1,517 |
$369 |
3 |
$1,907 |
$526 |
4 |
$2,297 |
$668 |
5 |
$2,687 |
$793 |
6 |
$3,077 |
$952 |
7 |
$3,467 |
$1,052 |
8 |
$3,857 |
$1,202 |
Each additional |
+ $390 |
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Income includes money from:
- Full or Part-Time Work
- Public Assistance
- Social Security
- Small Pensions or other low, fixed-income sources
Households may have up to $2,000 in liquid assets. A household of two or more, which includes a member age 60 or over, may have up to $3,000. Assets include things such as savings accounts, checking accounts, stocks, and bonds.
Unemployed able-bodied adults without children may face a work requirement or a three-month limit.
To apply for Food Stamp benefits, you must make an appointment at one of our Neighborhood Family Service Centers.
What Do I Bring When I Apply?
Your worker will need the items below for each person in your household:
- If not a citizen, an alien registration card
- Proof of social security number
- Proof of all the money you receive
- Proof of the money you have in the bank
- Proof of your housing costs
- Medical bills (only if you are 60 or older/disabled)
- Child support benefits paid to a non-household member
- Proof of disability if claimed
- Birth Certificate
If you bring these items to the interview, you may be found eligible for Food Stamps Benefits faster. Your information is private. The county agency cannot give out the information unless authorized by you.
The county worker may check the information you give, and give your social security number to other government agencies. This is done to make sure that all your information is correct and you are eligible to receive Food Stamp Benefits.
Prior to your appointment, you may complete form 7200 by clicking on the link below.
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*NOTE: The Application Forms can only be viewed using Adobe's free Acrobat Reader Software. To download a copy of Acrobat Reader, click on the picture below.  |
Once you have completed your application, you may take it in person to the Neighborhood Family Service Center that serves your community. This will speed up the processing of your application. To find the address of your NFSC, click here.
You may also mail or FAX in your application. If you submit your application by mail or FAX, you will be contacted in approximately two weeks for an appointment. To mail or FAX in your application, click here.
Mail to:
Employment & Family Services
1641 Payne Avenue
Room #200
Cleveland Ohio 44114
You Can Apply For Food Stamp Benefits At:
You may also call (216) 987-7000 for additional information on our services.
Click here to find a Neighborhood Family Service Center near you!
Main Phone: (216) 987-7000
Cuyahoga County Employment & Family Services
1641 Payne Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
For immediate emergency food assistance please call:
First Call for Help at (216) 436-2000
Links to Hunger Centers:
- Cleveland Food Bank
- Food & Nutrition Service: Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool
- Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland