SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and it is an extremely beneficial government program that helps to combat hunger among impoverished Americans. Last year, over 45 million people in the United States were able to avoid malnourishment and starvation due to SNAP's benefits.
Who Can Benefit From SNAP?
Most government benefit programs have strict eligibility requirements that make them only useful for a small category of people. However, SNAP is an option for any family that has a low income. The federal government sets up requirements nationwide, but states are allowed to slightly alter these eligibility rules for their unique situations. At a federal level, a household only needs to meet these three criteria to get benefits from SNAP:
The household's entire monthly income needs to be less than or equal to 130 percent of the poverty line which is $2,177 a month for a family of three in 2016. However, houses that have a disabled or elderly member do not need to meet this requirement. After taking deductions for things like child care or unusually expensive housing, the family's net income each month needs to be at or below the poverty line which is $1,675 a month for a family of three in 2016. The household's assets should be less than a specific limit. For the year of 2016, the limit is $2,250 for most households or $3,250 for family's with a disabled or senior member. Regardless of income and asset amounts, undocumented immigrants, strikers, and many types of college students will not be eligible for SNAP.
If the person applying for benefits is unemployed and childless, they will only receive benefits for three months, but this limit does not apply if they are doing job training or working for 20 hours or more a week. Individual states can get waivers for this SNAP limit if they prove that their area is dealing with abnormally high and sustained unemployment levels.
For a long time after the 2008 recession, most states had waivers that allowed them to extend SNAP benefits beyond three months for unemployed, childless people. However, starting in 2016, 40 states will start limiting benefit times again. Between 500,000 to 1 million people will not longer qualify for benefits due to this change. You can learn more about this change here.
Though general federal guidelines apply, each state has its own unique process. Typically, families can apply at a welfare office or use the mail, fax, or online website to send in an application. Then they normally need to do an eligibility interview and provide documentation about their income, expenses, identity, citizenship, household members, and residency.
If a family passes all these steps, they will get an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card. Each month, this card is preloaded with a set amount of benefits. EBT cards can then be used at a store that is registered with the SNAP program. There are 261,000 EBT authorized stores nationwide, and a majority of SNAP benefits are spent at supermarkets. Members of the SNAP program cannot use their benefits to buy cigarettes, alcohol, nutritional supplements, non-food items, or hot pre-prepared foods.
Families must reapply for SNAP every now and then. Generally, families will be required to reapply every six to 12 months, and elderly or disabled people need to reapply every one to two years. If a family has a significant income increase, they must contact the welfare office.
How Much Does a Family Get From SNAP?
Last year, the average person enrolled in SNAP got roughly $127 each month. This works out to $1.41 a meal in benefits. Benefits vary according to a family's needs, so lower income households get larger amounts on their EBT card. SNAP tries to give each family enough benefits to meet the Thrifty Food Plan which is an affordable and nutritionally fulfilling diet created by the USDA.
The formula for calculating benefits assumes that 30 percent of a household's net income will go towards food, and then it gives extra benefits to meet the Thrifty Food Plan costs. Therefore, a household with no net income gets the complete cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, and a household with some income will get the complete cost of the Thrifty Food Plan minus thirty percent of their overall net income.
Roughly 25 percent of SNAP benefits go towards people who are old or disabled, and almost 70 percent of SNAP benefits are used by households with children. This useful program provides insurance for families during economic troubles because it helps them to get nutrition even if they have a low income. All of the money for SNAP benefits comes from the federal government, and then states administer the benefits and pay for half the costs of these operations.
Who Can Benefit From SNAP?
Most government benefit programs have strict eligibility requirements that make them only useful for a small category of people. However, SNAP is an option for any family that has a low income. The federal government sets up requirements nationwide, but states are allowed to slightly alter these eligibility rules for their unique situations. At a federal level, a household only needs to meet these three criteria to get benefits from SNAP:
The household's entire monthly income needs to be less than or equal to 130 percent of the poverty line which is $2,177 a month for a family of three in 2016. However, houses that have a disabled or elderly member do not need to meet this requirement. After taking deductions for things like child care or unusually expensive housing, the family's net income each month needs to be at or below the poverty line which is $1,675 a month for a family of three in 2016. The household's assets should be less than a specific limit. For the year of 2016, the limit is $2,250 for most households or $3,250 for family's with a disabled or senior member. Regardless of income and asset amounts, undocumented immigrants, strikers, and many types of college students will not be eligible for SNAP.
If the person applying for benefits is unemployed and childless, they will only receive benefits for three months, but this limit does not apply if they are doing job training or working for 20 hours or more a week. Individual states can get waivers for this SNAP limit if they prove that their area is dealing with abnormally high and sustained unemployment levels.
For a long time after the 2008 recession, most states had waivers that allowed them to extend SNAP benefits beyond three months for unemployed, childless people. However, starting in 2016, 40 states will start limiting benefit times again. Between 500,000 to 1 million people will not longer qualify for benefits due to this change. You can learn more about this change here.
How Does the SNAP Application Process Work?
Though general federal guidelines apply, each state has its own unique process. Typically, families can apply at a welfare office or use the mail, fax, or online website to send in an application. Then they normally need to do an eligibility interview and provide documentation about their income, expenses, identity, citizenship, household members, and residency.
If a family passes all these steps, they will get an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card. Each month, this card is preloaded with a set amount of benefits. EBT cards can then be used at a store that is registered with the SNAP program. There are 261,000 EBT authorized stores nationwide, and a majority of SNAP benefits are spent at supermarkets. Members of the SNAP program cannot use their benefits to buy cigarettes, alcohol, nutritional supplements, non-food items, or hot pre-prepared foods.
Families must reapply for SNAP every now and then. Generally, families will be required to reapply every six to 12 months, and elderly or disabled people need to reapply every one to two years. If a family has a significant income increase, they must contact the welfare office.
How Much Does a Family Get From SNAP?
Last year, the average person enrolled in SNAP got roughly $127 each month. This works out to $1.41 a meal in benefits. Benefits vary according to a family's needs, so lower income households get larger amounts on their EBT card. SNAP tries to give each family enough benefits to meet the Thrifty Food Plan which is an affordable and nutritionally fulfilling diet created by the USDA.
The formula for calculating benefits assumes that 30 percent of a household's net income will go towards food, and then it gives extra benefits to meet the Thrifty Food Plan costs. Therefore, a household with no net income gets the complete cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, and a household with some income will get the complete cost of the Thrifty Food Plan minus thirty percent of their overall net income.
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