Cheryl Wilson is a single mother of an eight-year-old disabled daughter. She works 21 hours per week while her daughter is in school. Her daughter receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits because of her disability. To help with the cost of food for her family, Cheryl applied for SNAP benefits.
Since she was only working 21 hours, and SNAP applicants must work at least 30 hours per week or seek employment training as a condition for benefits, Cheryl applied as a work-exempt applicant, relying on a federal statute that exempts caregivers with responsibility for the care of an incapacitated person from the benefit program’s work requirements and related penalties.
Cheryl is the sole caregiver for her disabled daughter, and during the application process, she informed HHSC that her daughter had been approved for other federal benefits and
receives Supplemental Security Income, as evidence of her incapacity.
Because Cheryl works part-time, HHSC denied her application.
Cheryl sought the help of Lone Star Legal Aid, and Director of Litigation, Brenda Willett, took her case. Willett challenged the state’s procedures and denial of SNAP for the mother of a disabled child. The case went all the way to the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas. A recent Decision exempts Cheryl from the SNAP work requirement, deems her eligible for SNAP, and affirms that the challenged policies violate federal law.
*Names were changed to protect the identity of the client(s).
