The Supplemental Nutrition Aid Program, or SNAP, is the federal government’s most extensive food assistance program. The SNAP program, which provides benefits to qualified low-income people and families by allowing them to purchase qualifying food in authorized retail food establishments using an Electronic Benefits Transfer card, had 41.5 million participants as of 2021.
Here’s a closer look at everything you need to know about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
How Do SNAP and Food Stamps Differ?
Food Stamps and the SNAP program are the same things. Because of the stamp books consumers used to make purchases, the SNAP program was once known as the Food Stamp Program, or simply Food Stamps. Electronic Benefits Transfer cards, which look like debit cards and are accepted in most grocery stores and many other merchants that sell groceries, such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon, have replaced the stamps.
Who is eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)?
The qualifying conditions are defined by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), with the level of a family’s SNAP payment based on income and certain expenses.
A household’s income and resources must meet these three conditions to be eligible for benefits:
- The household’s gross monthly income must be at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level before the program’s deductions are applied. In the federal fiscal year 2022, the poverty limit used to determine SNAP benefits for a household of three is $1,830 per month. Thirty percent of this sum is $2,379 every month, or $28,550 per year.
- After deductions, net income or household income must be equal to or less than the federal poverty level.
- Assets must be worth less than a specific amount. Purchases of $2,500 or less are required for homes without a member aged 60 or older or with a disability and $3,750 for households with such a member.
What Can You Buy With Your SNAP Benefits?
SNAP funds can usually be used to purchase foods prepared at home. Food that is hot at the time of sale and food sold to be consumed in the store are not eligible.
These foods are SNAP-eligible, according to the US Department of Agriculture:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Dairy products
- Bread and cereals
- Snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages
- Seeds and plants produce food for the household to eat
In my state, what SNAP benefits are available?
SNAP benefits are managed by the states, even though it is a federal program. As a result, advantages are dispersed unevenly across the country. While all states save Alaska and Hawaii have the same eligibility standards and benefit levels, the manner benefits are calculated can differ from one state to the next, according to the US Census Bureau.
Here’s a quick rundown of each state’s maximum and minimum allotments:
- The maximum monthly allowance for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. is $835.
- A family of four in Alaska might get anywhere from $1,074 to $1,667 per month, depending on their rural/urban status.
- In Hawaii, a family of four is limited to $1,573 per month.
- In D.C. and the lower 48 states, the minimum benefit is $20, $40 in Alaska, and $38 in Hawaii.
