(DailyChive.com) – The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps about 40 million Americans achieve food sufficiency. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities account for two-thirds of these beneficiaries. However, some low-income households do not understand the program or how to check their eligibility status. This article will help you understand eligibility requirements and the application process.
What Is SNAP?
SNAP is a federal government-funded program that provides critical support to low-income working families, low-income families with older adults, people with disability living on a fixed income, and other individuals and households living at or below the poverty line.
The program works in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. People in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are not eligible for the program despite their high poverty levels. Instead, these territories receive nutritional grants from the federal government.
Am I Eligible for SNAP?
You may want to know whether you qualify for nutritional support under the SNAP program if you struggle to achieve food sufficiency. The good news is that SNAP rules are very flexible. The rules are set at the federal level, meaning they apply uniformly across the states. However, slight eligibility differences exist in some states. You should contact your SNAP state agency to understand customized eligibility rules. Other than state customization, the federal government pegs eligibility rules on:
Gross Monthly Income
Gross monthly income refers to household income before the application of deduction programs. A household qualifies for SNAP if its gross monthly income is 130 percent of the poverty line. If you live in a family of three, the poverty line is $1,920 a month. Your family qualifies for SNAP if the monthly income is $2,495 or less.
Net Income
The net income is the household income after deductions. A household qualifies for SNAP support when its net income is at or below the poverty line.
Assets
The SNAP program also sets asset limits for different low-income households. Households with at least one disabled person or older adult (above 60 years) should have assets of $4,250 or less. Working low-income households with no disabled person or older adult must have assets of $2,750 or less.
Definition of Household Income and Assets
Household income refers to cash earned from wages and salaries before the deduction of payroll taxes. Cash assistance, Social Security, unemployment insurance, and child support also count as monthly income. Assets under SNAP include resources, such as cash in a bank that can help a family purchase food. Fixed assets like homes, retirement savings, and personal properties do not count as assets. Some states, like Texas, treat vehicles as assets for eligibility determination. Contact your state agency to know how they treat vehicles when determining eligibility.
Who is Not Eligible for SNAP
individuals on strike, undocumented immigrants, and some college students do not qualify for the SNAP program, irrespective of their income. Unemployed persons aged 18 to 49 living in households without children only get a three-month support every three years.
What is A SNAP Household?
A SNAP household consists of people living together and purchasing and preparing shared meals. The program also considers spouses and children below 22 years as household members, even when they live separately. Households are eligible for SNAP if they have at least one person above 60 years. A family qualifies for SNAP under a disability if at least one household member is living with a disability.
Apply for SNAP Benefits
While the eligibility criteria enumerated in this article cover all the states, slight variances may exist from state to state. The application process may also vary across states. You can get more information about your eligibility and the application from your local SNAP office.
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