Yes, Food Stamps and SNAP are the same. SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is fundamentally a new name given to food stamps. The term SNAP was coined to mitigate the negative thinking pattern and the social stigma revolving around food stamps.
The main purpose of SNAP is to provide protection of food resources by supplying nutritious food purchasing advantages to all the Americans within the low or no income group. It is a federal aid program that is managed by the United States Department Of Agriculture but is distributed by the US state agencies through the local offices.
In this article, you will get deeper insights on SNAP and learn about the different eligibility requirements of SNAP as well as the food items you can get under SNAP. Before delving deeper into the topic, you must first learn about the eligibility criteria of SNAP along with the requirements.
Who Is Eligible To Get SNAP?
In order to get the SNAP benefits, you must meet certain requirements that include income, work, and resources. The benefits that you will receive from SNAP will completely depend on the size of the family and the total expenditure. Given below are the special requirements that you should have in order to get the SNAP benefits.
Income requirements:
When it comes to the income requirements, households, as well as individuals, have to meet a minimum gross value and net income to become eligible. The income limit of a family depends on the number of members in the family which varies from year to year. The gross monthly income means the total amount a person earns per month prior to the deduction of insurance money, taxes, or pension.
The deductions that are made from the gross amount like child support, housing cost, and child or dependent care form the net income of a household. If there is an elderly person who is 60 or up, you can deduct the medical expenses of $35 or up from the household income. But if an insurance company or any other household member pays for the bill, then that amount will not be deducted from the household income.
A household will fall under income-eligible criteria if all the members of the family receive SSI (supplemental security income) or TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).
Work requirement:
If you are an able-bodied adult between the age group of 18-49 and are without any dependents, you will be qualified for SNAP. You need to devote more than eighty hours per month either working, volunteering, or even training. The work requirement does not apply to the people who:
- Are pregnant
- Unable to work due to disability which includes mental and physical health
- Are incapacitated
- Student
- Caregivers of children under 6
- Are under drug rehabilitation
If you fall under that age group and are unemployed, then you need to undergo a training program or even a ‘special employment’ offered by the state.
Resource requirement
The total amount of money you have in your bank account becomes your resource. The households should have at least $2250 in their bank account. If there is an elderly person above 60 and/or is disabled, then the value increases to $3500.
Home is not considered under the resource requirement. But certain states may give you allowance for SNAP even if you own at least one car. The people who receive SSI and TANF are not eligible for SNAP as well.
Other eligibility requirements:
The other eligibility requirements for SNAP are as follows:
- Along with income, work, and resource requirements, everyone in a household should have their social security number or should have already applied for one
- If you are a law-abiding non-citizen but meet the income and resource requirements
- If your children are lawfully present in the US or are US citizens, they automatically qualify for SNAP benefits. This point stands even if you are ineligible.
Sometimes, a non-citizen has to wait for five years to receive the SNAP benefits. But a non-citizen does not have to wait that long if:
- A person has children under 18 years of age
- A person is a refugee
- A person with a disability
- Asylees
Now that you are well versed with the requirements, it is time to know how you can apply for SNAP.
How To Apply For SNAP?
If you want to apply for SNAP, you can visit any Social Security office. After you are done with the application process, you will be required to go through a telephonic interview. Along with submitting the application and completing the interview, some personal information will be verified as well. Those pieces of information may include:
- Your identification card like your driver’s license, birth certificate, state ID card, health insurance, voter ID card, etc.
- Income proof of each household member like a statement from an employer, documentation of child support or alimony, veteran’s benefits, etc.
- A proof of the amount of money you spend on dependent care
- Your rent receipt
- Proof of your regular necessity costs
- Medical bills of elderly people of 60 or above age
- Proof of money received from disability benefits like SSI
After you have undergone the entire application process, you need to wait for confirmation from the SNAP office. Usually, you only have to wait for thirty days for confirmation. If you still have not received your confirmation, you can directly visit the SNAP office or call them.
On A Concluding Note
If your household receives the SNAP benefits, you will get to enjoy the benefits of receiving a variety of food items as well as non-food items that are listed under SNAP. The food items may include dairy products, fruits, vegetables, meat, plants, seeds that can be consumed, etc. Other than these food items, you can also get wine, beer, liquor, tobacco or cigarettes, medicines, ready-to-eat food items, items for hygiene like soap, menstrual care items, household supplies, pet food, and many more.
By the end of this article, you must have gotten an in-depth knowledge of SNAP and its eligibility requirements. Did you apply for SNAP or are you already enjoying the benefits? Do not forget to let us know!