Qualify for Food Stamps

Qualify for Food Stamps

You need to meet certain eligibility requirements to qualify for food stamps under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAPS). First of all, your household "countable" resources cannot exceed $2000, including such resources as cash and bank accounts, but excluding resources such as a home and property. You are allowed up to $3000 in countable resources if at least one person in the household is age 60 or older. Secondly, your household gross monthly income cannot exceed 130% of Federal poverty guidelines, which includes all cash payments to your household. Third, your net household income — total gross income minus approved deductions for child care, shelter costs and other expenses — cannot exceed 100% of Federal poverty guidelines.

The next question is, how much food stamps financial aid will you qualify for? The amount you receive in food stamps depends on the combination of your income, resources, and family size. The Social Security Administration provides a food stamps calculator to estimate the amount you will receive in food stamps, although this may not be 100% accurate. The lowest-income, highest-need participants can receive over $1000 per month in food stamp benefits, in addition to other government assistance, depending upon their household size. A typical low-income household receives several hundred dollars a month in food stamps benefits.

To determine if you qualify for food stamps and to find out how much you are eligible to receive, you can obtain a food stamp application from any Social Security office, and some states provide applications online.