The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides federal dollars for food monthly to low-income people. To qualify for SNAP benefits, applicants must meet a few eligibility tests based on income and other assets.
Applicants must also submit applications to the state in which they live. The program was modified during the pandemic. However, those changes are ending this year after Congress passed legislation to end the federal public health emergency.
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Here is a guideline on how to know if you qualify to receive benefits:
Income limits
Applicant's gross monthly income, the income before SNAP benefits are added, must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty line.
The poverty level is higher for larger families and lower for smaller families. For a family of three, the poverty line to determine benefits for fiscal 2023 is $1,920 a month.
Gross monthly income includes earned and unearned income, such as Social Security payments or other sources of income besides a pay stub.
Resource or asset limits
SNAP defines an asset as any resource that has accessible value and falls under a specific limit.
Households with at least one member who is 60 or older can have up to $4,250 in assets, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Households without a member with a disability or without someone who is at least 60 years old are limited to $2,750 or less in assets.
Who is not eligible
Some people will not be able to receive SNAP even if their income level and assets meet all qualifications. SNAP cannot be applied to people on strike, students attending college over half the time, those without documented immigration status, and some cases of legal immigrants.
Some adults without dependents, meaning those at least 18 years old and under 50 who don't have children, will have to meet additional requirements to be eligible for SNAP.
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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said those people can only receive three months of SNAP benefits every three years, with exceptions for those working at least 20 hours a week.
The federal public health emergency ended on May 11, and all COVID-19 changes have stopped. The average benefit for an individual in 2023 is $195 per month, with a maximum of $281, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. For a family of four, the average benefit is $684, with a maximum of $939.