Federal program

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. State implementation varies — this page covers the federal floor; the per-state pages below carry the branded program names, max benefits, and application URLs.

Federal eligibility baseline

SNAP — what most people still call food stamps — is the country's largest anti-hunger program, serving roughly 41 million people in FY 2024 per USDA. It is administered federally by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service and operationally by state human-services agencies. Federal income tests for FY 2025 (October 1, 2024 — September 30, 2025):

Gross monthly income at or below 130% of the federal poverty guideline — $2,798 for a household of three.
Net monthly income (after standard deductions, dependent-care, child-support, and excess-shelter deductions) at or below 100% of poverty — $2,152 for three.
Asset test: $3,000 in countable resources ($4,500 if a household member is over 60 or has a disability), though 38 states + DC have used the Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) option to remove or raise the asset test above the federal floor.

The maximum SNAP allotment is set against USDA's Thrifty Food Plan and was raised by 21% in October 2021 under the first TFP reevaluation since 1975. For FY 2025, the maximum monthly allotment for a household of three in the contiguous 48 + DC is $766; for a single person it is $292.

What it covers

SNAP benefits load monthly to an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card that works at most grocery stores and many farmers' markets. Eligible foods (per 7 USC 2012):

Any food or food product for human consumption: meats, produce, dairy, breads, cereals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages
Seeds and plants that produce food for the household
Cold prepared foods that aren't intended to be eaten in the store

What SNAP cannot buy: alcohol, tobacco, hot prepared foods (except under the Restaurant Meals Program for elderly, homeless, and disabled enrollees in 8 states), vitamins or supplements, pet food, household supplies, or non-food items.

SNAP also funds Double Up Food Bucks-style fruit-and-vegetable matches at participating farmers' markets in every state via USDA's Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). Many states + nonprofit operators stretch each SNAP dollar 2x at the produce stand.

Who qualifies

Most low-income US households qualify if they meet the income and asset tests. Key categorical rules:

Mixed-status households: US citizens and lawfully present immigrants apply on behalf of the eligible members; ineligible household members are excluded from the benefit calculation but the rest still receive SNAP.
Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) ages 18-54 face a 3-month time limit on SNAP receipt in any 36-month period unless they meet a 20-hour-a-week work requirement. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 expanded the age range to 54 (was 49 in 2022) but added exemptions for veterans, homeless adults, and youth aging out of foster care.
College students enrolled at least half-time must meet additional work requirements unless they are parents, in a workforce-training program, or eligible under the temporary COVID-era student waivers (which sunset July 2023).
Drug-felony lifetime ban: the 1996 PRWORA imposed a federal lifetime SNAP ban for drug-felony convictions, but states may opt out. Only South Carolina retains the full ban; every other state has modified or fully removed it.

How to apply

Every state runs a state-side online application portal branded under the state human-services umbrella. The federal application channel matrix:

Online: Every state has a SNAP online application; many also let you upload documents and check status online.
Phone: Every state operates a SNAP info line and accepts phone applications under 7 CFR 273.2(c)(2).
Mail / in person: Paper applications are required to be available at every county office under federal regulation.

Federal processing time is 30 days for a regular application. Households with under $150 in monthly income and $100 in liquid assets, or migrant / seasonal workers, qualify for expedited service with benefits issued within seven days (7 CFR 273.2(i)).

Required documents: proof of identity, proof of household members' identity and Social Security numbers, proof of income from all sources (pay stubs, child-support orders, unemployment), proof of housing costs (lease + utility bills), proof of dependent-care or child-support paid out, and proof of any disability-related medical expenses if claiming a deduction.