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What is the End Hunger CT! SNAP Prescreener?
End Hunger Connecticut!’s online SNAP Prescreener is a quick, free and easy way to help determine your potential eligibility to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In less than 10 questions the Prescreener will help gauge whether you may qualify to receive benefits after asking about your household, income and expenses information. If you do appear eligible, we’ll let you know what your next steps are for applying.
Our Prescreener is completely confidential and does not ask for your full name, address or social security number. Please note that the Prescreener is an estimating tool to determine potential eligibility and is NOT an application for SNAP, nor is it a guarantee that you are eligible or not. If you should proceed to complete a SNAP application, more detailed information will be asked of you during the application process so the CT Department of Social Services (DSS) can properly determine your official SNAP eligibility. It is also important to mention that our Prescreener is NOT the DSS prescreener, although it calculates in the same way. The DSS Prescreener can be accessed at www.connect.ct.gov. EHC!’s SNAP Prescreener can be accessed at www.endhungerct.org/prescreener.
What’s changing and why?
While the Prescreener itself remains the same, the way clients can access assistance has expanded. When someone gets a “you may be eligible” result through our Prescreener, they now have the option to request a call from the EHC! Call Center. The reason we’ve implemented this is because of the insight and feedback from our SNAP partners across the state that work with us to increase the reach of SNAP in their communities. Partners noticed a recurring theme of referring residents to our Prescreener and receiving a “may be eligible” result, but not taking the next step to call us or fill out an application via DSS.
The partner’s efforts have been wasted, and that person who likely qualifies for SNAP is not taking that one extra step to apply. We understand this barrier fully. We know there can be stigma around applying for food assistance (but you should NOT be ashamed to apply for the benefits you’re entitled to!), an extra step can seem like too much to think about, or even that life gets busy and you may simply forget to make the call.
This new option on our Prescreener means EHC! makes the initial call for SNAP application assistance, so we know people (who have signed up for this option and likely qualify for SNAP) are getting the assistance they need. It makes our services more accessible for those struggling to make that call for assistance, whatever the reason may be.
How does the new callback feature work?
When you use EHC!’s SNAP Prescreener and receive a “you may be eligible” result, THREE options now appear (the new feature is bullet #2!).
Once you click on that second bullet to request an appointment, a form will appear asking for your name, phone number and email address so we know how to reach you. There is also a section where you can fill out your preferred days and times that work for us to call. We also ask for your preferred spoken language so our Associates can be best prepared to communicate effectively with you. Lastly, there is a questions/comments section that clients or partners can use to provide any extra details to our Call Center staff. When you submit the form, an automatic email is sent to SNAP@endhungerct.org (we check and pull info from this account daily) containing all the information you provided.
Our Call Center will pull the information from each submission and add it to our Call Log. They will also note the preferred call times. We will make every effort to contact you on your preferred day and time, but it is not always guaranteed depending on how busy we are. If it’s not possible for us to call during a preferred time in a timely manner, we will still make the initial call but may have to leave a message – we would rather have to leave a message and have you call back than to leave you waiting a long period without a call from us.
This feature is a new voluntary option – not a requirement – for clients to choose from when they get a “may be eligible” result from the prescreener. A client will only be asked to include their name, phone number and email upon choosing that option.
What if I don’t want to request a callback? What are my other options?
Requesting a callback is completely up to you; you do not need to use this feature if you do not want to. We understand and value that clients may want to remain anonymous while checking their potential eligibility status with our Prescreener tool or may want to follow up for assistance at their own pace. Rest assured that unless you voluntarily fill out a callback request form, we do not receive or store ANY of your contact information. We also never store the financial information that you include in your answers.
If you receive a “may be eligible for SNAP” result and do not wish to use the callback feature, other options will be shown to you: our Call Center information so you can call us when you’re ready, as well as the option to go through the application process using the CT Department of Social Services (DSS) system. Please note that if you do not receive a “may be eligible for SNAP” result after completing the Prescreener, these options will not be shown to you as you likely do not qualify for SNAP.
If you have questions about the Prescreener or its results, you can call our Call Center line at any time and our Associates would be happy to help at 866-874-SNAP (7627).
To learn more about our SNAP Call Center hours, visit www.endhungerct.org/SNAP
Feature Image Photo by Thomas Lefebvre on Unsplash
About us: End Hunger CT! works statewide to eliminate hunger and promote healthy nutrition through outreach, public education, and advocacy. EHC! offers SNAP assistance, nutrition program promotion, doubles SNAP at farmers’ markets, and more to help CT residents in need. To learn more about our services, click here.
Have any questions? Contact our Communications Coordinator, Kimberly Nguyen, at knguyen@endhungerct.org.
