Food Stamps
PLA helps clients get and keep benefits from the Supplemental Nutrtition Assistance Program, also known as Food Stamps.
How to get help with Food Stamps
The following departments at PLA provide legal assistance with Food Stamps:
Intake Procedure:Applicants may come to walk-in intake or call the telephone intake line, except that applicants whose legal problem is SSI need to apply through Community Legal Services (CLS). For the intake hours at CLS, see the SSI page of CLS's web site.
Applicants may also apply online (for legal problems other than SSI).
Intake Procedure:GFSC is staffed by full-time law students and is therefore closed from mid-December through early January and is also closed from mid-April through mid-May. During the Summer, the Clinic is staffed full-time from Mid-May through Mid-August.
Therefore, if you are having a problem applying for food stamps in Philadelphia or if you’d like help in appealing a decision by the County Assistance Office:
- In the winter, from December 1 to January 24, contact PLA's telephone intake line for assistance from PLA's Public Benefits Unit;
- In the spring, from April 15 to May 15, contact PLA's telephone intake line for assistance from PLA's Public Benefits Unit;
- At all other times, call 215.523.9502.
Self-Help Resources
If you need help applying for public benefits, unemployment compensation, or the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), free help is available from the City of Philadelphia. You can get one-on-one counseling from BenePhilly over the phone or in person.
The toll-free number for BenePhilly is 844-848-4376. You can also walk in to one of six BenePhilly Centers.
COMPASS is a web site provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare to allow Pennsylvanians to apply for public benefits on-line.
