Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
Randy Alison Aussenberg
Specialist in Nutrition Assistance Policy
October 20, 2014
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R42505
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
Summary
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp
Program, is designed primarily to increase the food purchasing power of eligible low-income
households to help them buy a nutritionally adequate low-cost diet. This report describes the rules
related to eligibility for SNAP benefits as well as the rules for benefits and their redemption.
SNAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service
(USDA-FNS). SNAP is authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. This law, formerly the
Food Stamp Act of 1977, has since 1973 been reauthorized by the “farm bill,” omnibus
legislation that also typically includes the authorization of other federal agricultural policies and
programs. The program was most recently reauthorized by the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-79,
enacted February 7, 2014).
SNAP eligibility and benefits are calculated on a household basis. Eligibility is determined
through a traditional or a categorical eligibility path. Under traditional eligibility, applicant
households must meet gross income, net income, and asset tests. Specifically, household gross
monthly income (all income as defined by SNAP law) must be at or below 130% of the federal
poverty level, and household net (SNAP-specified deductions are subtracted) monthly income
must be at 100% of the federal poverty level. The traditional asset rules are set at $2,000 per
household (inflation adjusted). (Households that contain an elderly or disabled member have a
higher asset limit and also do not have to meet the gross income test.) Under categorical
eligibility, SNAP eligibility is automatically conveyed based upon the applicant’s participation in
other means-tested programs, namely Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF), or General Assistance (GA). Because TANF is a broad-purpose
block grant, the state option to extend SNAP eligibility to applicants that receive a TANF-funded
benefit allows states to offer program eligibility under rules that vary from those discussed in this
paragraph, including an elimination of the asset test.
If eligible for SNAP, an applicant household also undergoes a calculation of its monthly benefit
amount (or allotment). This calculation utilizes the household’s net income as well as the
maximum allotment, a figure that equals the current value of the “Thrifty Food Plan” (TFP). The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act temporarily increased this value; this increase ended
after October 31, 2013.
Benefits are issued on an EBT card, which operates with a declining balance like a debit card.
Benefits are not cash, may not be accessed at an automatic teller machine, and are redeemable
only for foods. Benefits may be redeemed for foods at licensed retailers, which may include a
wide variety of retailers so long as retailers meet licensing requirements.
This report focuses on SNAP eligibility and the form and function of benefits. For an overview of
SNAP along with the other USDA-FNS programs, such as the Emergency Food Assistance
Program (TEFAP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and National School Lunch
Program (NSLP), see CRS Report R42353, Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs.
For issues related to SNAP and the new farm bill, see CRS Report R43332, SNAP and Related
Nutrition Provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79).
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Eligibility ......................................................................................................................................... 2
The SNAP Household ............................................................................................................... 2
Financial Eligibility ................................................................................................................... 3
The Traditional Path to Eligibility ....................................................................................... 4
Categorical Eligibility ......................................................................................................... 7
Work-Related Eligibility Requirements .................................................................................... 8
In All States: Overview of Work-Related Requirements in SNAP ..................................... 9
Varies By State: SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Required Participation,
Services Available ............................................................................................................ 9
“ABAWD” Time Limit ..................................................................................................... 10
Individuals Ineligible for SNAP .............................................................................................. 11
SNAP Benefits Under Special Eligibility Rules ...................................................................... 13
Transitional Benefits ......................................................................................................... 13
Disaster Benefits (“D-SNAP”) .......................................................................................... 13
Benefits .......................................................................................................................................... 14
Benefit Amounts (Allotments) ................................................................................................ 14
Maximum Monthly Allotments ......................................................................................... 14
Calculation of a Household’s Monthly Benefit ................................................................. 15
Minimum Benefit .............................................................................................................. 16
Issuance of Benefits ................................................................................................................. 16
Redemption of Benefits ........................................................................................................... 17
Items That May Be Purchased With SNAP Benefits ........................................................ 17
SNAP-Authorized Retailers .............................................................................................. 18
Figures
Figure 1. Calculating the Monthly Benefit for a Hypothetical Household in FY2015 .................. 16
Tables
Table 1. SNAP Standard Deductions for FY2015 (per month) ........................................................ 5
Table 2. Counted (Net) and Basic (Gross) Monthly Income Eligibility Limits for SNAP,
FY2015 ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Table 3. Maximum Possible Monthly SNAP Allotments, FY2015 ............................................... 15
Table 4. Retailers Authorized and Benefits Redeemed by Retailer Type, FY2013 ....................... 21
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 22
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... 22
Congressional Research Service
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
Introduction
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp
Program, is designed primarily to increase the food purchasing power of eligible low income
households to a point where they can buy a nutritionally adequate low cost diet. This report
describes the rules related to eligibility for SNAP benefits and the rules related to the issuance
and use of benefits.
SNAP is authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. This law, formerly the Food Stamp
Act of 1977, has since 1973 been reauthorized by the “farm bill,” omnibus legislation that also
typically includes the reauthorization of other federal agricultural policies and programs. SNAP
was most recently authorized by the 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014; P.L. 113-79). See
CRS Report R43332, SNAP and Related Nutrition Provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79),
by Randy Alison Aussenberg for further discussion of the nutrition program policy changes.
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (“2008 farm bill,” P.L. 110-246) changed the
name of the program from the Food Stamp Program to SNAP and revised the name of the
governing law from the Food Stamp Act to the Food and Nutrition Act. State names for the
program may vary; some states continue to name their
programs “food stamps,” while others have switched to
SNAP in FY20131
SNAP or maintain another name.3
In FY2013, an average of 47.6 million
individuals in 23.1 million households
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition
participated in SNAP each month.2
Service (USDA-FNS) administers SNAP.4 Although a
detailed framework of federal law and regulation exists, a
robust framework of state options and waivers exists as well. In this way, while universal
concepts of benefit eligibility and administration exist among the states, there also are many
policies that vary among the states.5 This report will focus on the federal framework but will at
times discuss state options that may cause state and local programs to vary.
SNAP benefits are available for households that meet federal financial eligibility tests for limited
monthly income and liquid assets. However, these rules can be bypassed through the use of
“categorical eligibility” for SNAP. Categorical eligibility provides states with the ability to
modify federal financial eligibility rules. As of July 2013, 43 states utilize broad-based
categorical eligibility, although several do so with an added limit on liquid assets.6 To be eligible
1 Please see the USDA-FNS website, http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/snapmain.htm, for historical SNAP spending and
participation data.
2 Unless otherwise noted, administrative data in this report are from USDA-FNS. Please note: this report includes
figures from FY2010, FY2011, FY2012, and FY2013; the year chosen represents the most current data available for the
respective measure.
3 References to “states” in this report include all entities that operate SNAP (i.e., 50 states, the District of Columbia, the
Virgin Islands, and Guam).
4 For a history of the SNAP program beginning in 1939, please see USDA-FNS’s “About SNAP” website:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Legislation/about.htm.
5 See, for example, USDA-FNS, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State Options Report, August 2012,
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Memo/Support/State_Options/10-State_Options.pdf.
6 For more information, please see CRS Report R42054, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP):
Categorical Eligibility, by Gene Falk and Randy Alison Aussenberg.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
for SNAP, a household must fulfill requirements related to work effort and must meet citizenship
and legal permanent residence tests.
In general, the maximum SNAP benefit is based upon the level of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s lowest cost food plan (the Thrifty Food Plan or TFP) and varies by household size.
Before April 2009, the maximum SNAP benefit was simply set at the level of the TFP; however,
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) increased the maximum
benefit by an additional 13.6% above the 2008 TFP. This higher maximum benefit continued until
October 31, 2013; the maximum benefit has been at a comparatively reduced level since.7
Monthly SNAP benefit amounts are calculated as the difference between the household’s
expected contribution to its food costs and the maximum benefit. (Participating households are
expected to devote 30% of their “net” monthly cash income to food purchases.) Thus, a recipient
household with no “net” cash income receives the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for its size
while a household with some counted income receives a lesser allotment, the maximum benefit
minus 30% of the net income. Net income is the gross income with certain specified deductions
subtracted.
Eligibility
SNAP has financial, work-related, and “categorical” tests for eligibility. Its financial tests require
that those eligible have monthly income and liquid assets below limits set by law and adjusted for
inflation. Under the work-related tests, certain household members must register for work, accept
suitable job offers, and fulfill work or training requirements (such as looking or training for a job)
established by their state public assistance agency. Under a work requirement established in 1996,
SNAP eligibility for Able-bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) is limited to 3 months
in any 36-month period unless the ABAWD works at least half time or is in a work or training
program. Categorical eligibility rules make some automatically eligible for SNAP assistance
(most who receive a benefit from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] block
grant or receive Supplemental Security Income [SSI] or state [GA] cash benefits). In addition to
categorical eligibility rules, there are also categorical denials of eligibility to specific groups (e.g.,
strikers, many noncitizens and postsecondary students, people living in institutional settings,
many drug felons). However, applications cannot be denied because of the length of a
household’s residence in a SNAP agency’s jurisdiction, because the household has no fixed
mailing address or does not reside in a permanent dwelling, or because the applicant does not
provide a driver’s license or photograph identification.
The SNAP Household
The basic SNAP beneficiary unit is the household. A household can be either a person living
alone or a group of individuals living together; there is no requirement for cooking facilities. The
SNAP household definition is different than that used in other means-tested programs (e.g.,
TANF families with dependent children, elderly or disabled individuals or couples in the SSI
Program). However, it is close to those used by some other programs such as the National School
7 For more information, please see CRS Report R43257, Background on the Scheduled Reduction to Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, by Randy Alison Aussenberg and Gene Falk.
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Lunch Program; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC); and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Generally speaking, individuals living together constitute a single household if they customarily
purchase food and prepare meals together. Members of the same household must apply together,
and their income, expenses, and assets normally are aggregated in determining food stamp
eligibility and benefits. However, persons who live together can sometimes be considered
separate “households” for program purposes.
Persons who live together, but purchase food and prepare meals separately, may apply for SNAP
benefits separately, except for (1) spouses; (2) parents and their children (21 years or younger);
and (3) minors 18 years or younger who live under the parental control of a caretaker (excluding
foster children and, in some cases, certain citizen children, who may be treated separately). In
addition, persons 60 years or older who live with others and cannot purchase food and prepare
meals separately because of a substantial disability may apply separately from their co-residents
as long as their co-residents’ income is below prescribed limits (165% of the federal poverty
guidelines).
Although those living in institutional settings generally are barred from SNAP, individuals in
certain types of group living arrangements may be eligible and are automatically treated as
separate households, regardless of how food is purchased and meals are prepared. These
arrangements must be approved by state or local agencies and include residential drug addict or
alcoholic treatment programs, small group homes for the disabled, shelters for battered women
and children, and shelters for the homeless.
If a household includes an elderly or disabled member, the household is entitled to different
SNAP deduction rules as well as some different financial eligibility rules (discussed in the next
section). For one- and two-person households (in the 48 states and DC) that are financially
eligible, they are also assured (for FY2015) a minimum monthly benefit of $16. Without the
minimum benefit it may be possible that these smaller households would be eligible for SNAP
but for an arguably negligible amount. It is possible that different SNAP households can live
together, and recipients can reside with non-recipients. In the case of recipients residing with non-
recipients, the eligibility and benefit level of the household is based on a household size that
excludes the non-recipient. Whether the non-recipient’s income or assets are included depends
upon the specific circumstances.
Financial Eligibility
There are two pathways to eligibility for SNAP. The first is the “traditional pathway” to eligibility
with financial eligibility thresholds stated in the Food and Nutrition Act (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
Federal law sets income and asset eligibility thresholds as well as the rules for what types of
income and assets are counted or disregarded. Also, the act lists what types of expenses can be
deducted in determining income eligibility and, if eligible, determining the benefit amount.
The second pathway is known as “categorical eligibility.” The basis of categorical eligibility is a
rule that makes households composed entirely of recipients of benefits funded from the
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, Supplemental Security Income
cash assistance, or state General Assistance (GA) automatically eligible for SNAP. Recipients of
benefits from these programs bypass financial eligibility rules and automatically go to the next
step, determining SNAP benefits. However, states have the option of interpreting categorical
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
eligibility broadly. Below is a discussion of the traditional pathway to SNAP eligibility, followed
by a discussion of categorical eligibility.
The Traditional Path to Eligibility
For households without an elderly or disabled member, SNAP uses both the household’s basic (or
“gross”) monthly income and its counted (or “net”) monthly income. Eligible households’ gross
income must be at or below gross income standards and their counted income must meet net
income eligibility thresholds. When judging eligibility for households with elderly or disabled
members, only the household’s counted net monthly income is considered; in effect, this
procedure applies a somewhat more liberal income test to the elderly and disabled.
Income and SNAP Deductions
Gross monthly income includes all of a household’s cash income except the following
“exclusions” (disregards):8 (1) most payments made to third parties (rather than directly to the
household); (2) unanticipated, irregular, or infrequent income, up to $30 a quarter; (3) loans
(student loans are treated as student aid, see (10)); (4) income received for the care of someone
outside the household; (5) nonrecurring lump sum payments such as income tax refunds,
retroactive lump sum Social Security payments, and certain charitable donations (in many cases,
these may instead be counted as liquid assets); (6) federal energy assistance (e.g., LIHEAP); (7)
reimbursement for expenses;9 (8) income earned by schoolchildren 17 or younger; (9) the cost of
producing self-employment income; (10) federal post-secondary student aid (e.g., Pell grants,
student loans); (11) advance payments of federal earned income credits; (12) “on the job” training
earnings of dependent children under 19 in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs, as
well as monthly “allowances” under these programs; (13) income set aside by disabled SSI
recipients under an approved “plan for achieving self support”; (14) combat-related military pay;
and (15) payments required to be disregarded by provisions of federal law outside the Food and
Nutrition Act (e.g., various payments under laws relating to Indians, payments under Older
Americans Act employment programs for the elderly). In addition, states may, within certain
limits, choose to exclude other types of income that they disregard in their TANF or Medicaid
programs.
Net monthly income is computed by subtracting certain “deductions” from a household’s basic
(or gross) monthly income. This calculation is based on the recognition that not all of a
household’s income is available for food purchases. Thus, a standard portion of income, plus
amounts representing costs such as work expenses or high non-food living expenses, is deducted
from the gross income.
For households without an elderly or disabled member, net monthly income equals gross monthly
income minus the following deductions, if applicable:
• Standard deduction: A “standard” monthly deduction that varies by household
size and is indexed for inflation (see below for details). Every applicant
household gets this deduction;
8 These income exclusions are found in Section 5(d) of the Food and Nutrition Act, codified at 7 U.S.C. 2014(d).
9 So long as those reimbursements do not constitute a “gain or benefit” to the household.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
• Earned income deduction: 20% of any earned income, in recognition of taxes
and work expenses;
• Child support deduction: Any amounts paid out as legally obligated child
support;
• Dependent care deduction: Out-of-pocket dependent care expenses, when
related to work or training;10 and
• Excess shelter deduction: Shelter expenses (including utility costs, which states
may standardize with a “standard utility allowance” calculation) that exceed 50%
of net income after all other deductions, typically expenses that exceed about
one-third of gross monthly income (see below for limits).
The amount of the standard deduction depends upon household size and statutorily set parameters
(amounts shown in Table 1 for FY2015). Per statute, the standard deduction is either 8.31% of
the annually indexed federal poverty income guidelines for each household size (these are based
on the poverty guidelines which are indexed for inflation) or specific minimum numbers in statute
that are also indexed for inflation.11 In the 48 states and the District of Columbia, the FY2015
minimum standard deduction is $155 a month. Recognizing different living costs, different
standard deductions apply in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
Table 1. SNAP Standard Deductions for FY2015 (per month)
Geographic Area
Household Size
1-2
3
4
5
6+
48 states and District
$155 $155 $166 $193 $221
of Columbia
Alaska
$266 $266 $266 $266 $277
Hawaii
$219 $219 $219 $222 $255
Guam
$312 $312 $330 $387 $443
Virgin
Islands $137 $137 $165 $193 $221
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/
FY15_Allot_Deduct.pdf.
The excess shelter deduction is restricted to annually indexed monthly limits. For FY2015, these
are $490 for the 48 states and the District of Columbia, $782 for Alaska, $660 for Hawaii, $575
for Guam, and $386 for the Virgin Islands. (This deduction is a way to further account for the
variability of shelter costs across the country.)
For households with an elderly or disabled member, counted monthly income equals gross
monthly income minus
• the same standard, child support, earned income, and dependent care
deductions noted above;
10 Limits on SNAP deductions for dependent care were lifted under the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246).
11 Inflation adjustment of the minimum was added by the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246).
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• an uncapped excess shelter deduction, to the extent such expenses exceed 50% of
counted income after all other deductions, with no limit; and
• any out-of-pocket medical expenses (other than those for special diets) that are
incurred by an elderly or disabled household member, to the extent they exceed a
threshold of $35 a month.
Under the traditional path to SNAP eligibility, households must have net monthly income that
does not exceed the inflation-adjusted federal poverty guidelines (100% FPL). Households
without an elderly or disabled member also must have gross/basic monthly income that does not
exceed 130% of the inflation-adjusted federal poverty guidelines (130% FPL). Both these income
eligibility limits are uniform for the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the
Virgin Islands; somewhat higher income eligibility limits (because of higher poverty guidelines)
are applied in Alaska and Hawaii. Net and gross income eligibility limits (which are adjusted for
inflation each October) are summarized in Table 2.
The calculation of net income discussed in this section is pertinent not just for determining
eligibility but also for calculating the SNAP benefit amount to which the household is entitled
(discussed below in “Benefit Amounts (Allotments)”).
Table 2. Counted (Net) and Basic (Gross) Monthly Income Eligibility Limits
for SNAP, FY2015
Eligibility Limits in Effect October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2015
48 States, DC, and the
Household size
Territories Alaska Hawaii
Counted (net) monthly income eligibility limits (100% of poverty):
1 person
$973
$1,215
$1,119
2 persons
1,311
1,639
1,508
3 persons
1,650
2,062
1,897
4 persons
1,988
2,485
2,286
5 persons
2,326
2,909
2,675
6 persons
2,665
3,332
3,065
7 persons
3,003
3,755
3,454
8 persons
3,341
4,179
3,843
Each additional person
339
424
390
Basic (gross) monthly income eligibility limits (130% of poverty):
1 person
$1,265
$1,580
$1,454
2 persons
1,705
2,130
1,960
3 persons
2,144
2,681
2,466
4 persons
2,584
3,231
2,972
5 persons
3,024
3,781
3,478
6 persons
3,464
4,332
3,984
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48 States, DC, and the
Household size
Territories Alaska Hawaii
7 persons
3,904
4,882
4,490
8 persons
4,344
5,432
4,996
Each additional person
440
551
506
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/
FY15_Income_Standards.pdf.
Assets
Under the traditional pathway to eligibility, households cannot have counted liquid assets that
exceed federally prescribed limits. In FY2015, households without an elderly or disabled member
cannot have counted liquid assets above $2,250. In that year, households with an elderly or
disabled member cannot have counted liquid assets above $3,250. These dollar limits are to be
annually indexed for overall inflation (and rounded down to the nearest $250).12
Counted liquid assets include cash on hand, checking and savings accounts, savings certificates,
stocks and bonds, and nonrecurring lump sum payments such as insurance settlements and lump-
sum payments that have been disregarded as income (e.g., some tax refunds) but have not been
spent. Certain assets also are counted: a portion of the value of vehicles (in some cases) and the
equity value of property not producing income consistent with its value (e.g., recreational
property).
Counted assets do not include the value of the household’s primary residence (home and
surrounding property); business assets; personal property (household goods and personal effects);
lump sum earned income tax credit and other non-recurring payments; burial plots; the cash value
of life insurance policies; the value of all tax-recognized pension savings/plans and education
savings (effective in October 2009); and certain other resources whose value is not accessible to
the household, would not yield more than $1,000 if sold (e.g., a car with a small equity value), or
are required to be disregarded by other federal laws.
Some special rules apply when counting allowable assets. Although the general rule is that the
fair market value of a vehicle in excess of $4,650 is to be counted as an asset, states may (and
most often do) count vehicles as assets only to the extent they do under their TANF programs or
disregard them entirely. Moreover, states generally may exclude additional assets to the extent
they do so under their TANF or Medicaid programs.
Categorical Eligibility
SNAP also conveys eligibility to households that already participate in specific means-tested
programs. This concept of “categorical eligibility” is discussed at greater length, including state-
by-state information, in CRS Report R42054, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP): Categorical Eligibility, by Gene Falk and Randy Alison Aussenberg.
12 This indexing was added by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (“2008 farm bill”; P.L. 110-246).
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Households composed entirely of recipients of benefits funded from the Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) block grant, Supplemental Security Income cash assistance, or state
General Assistance (GA) are automatically, or categorically, based on the participation in these
other programs, eligible for SNAP. States have the option to use categorical eligibility widely
among applicants, permitting them to bypass the income eligibility and, most importantly, the
asset eligibility rules of the traditional pathway to SNAP eligibility discussed above.
The breadth of this categorical option results particularly from the option to grant SNAP
eligibility to those who receive a TANF-funded benefit. As TANF is a flexible block grant with a
wide range of allowable expenditures, this means that any TANF benefit or services, not just
traditional cash welfare, can result in categorical eligibility for SNAP. As of July 2014, 43 states
were conveying broad-based categorical eligibility by extending a nominal TANF-funded benefit,
such as a brochure or application; 5 of these states had imposed an asset limit in addition to
allowing this eligibility.13
Under SNAP regulations, states do have to assign a gross income limit of 200% of the federal
poverty line or less in order to use a TANF-funded benefit to make applicants eligible. However,
categorical eligibility does not automatically mean that a household is entitled to a SNAP benefit.
Households must still have net income below a level that results in a non-zero SNAP benefit.
Work-Related Eligibility Requirements
Current SNAP law has rules on employment or work-related activities for able-bodied, non-
elderly adult participants. Some rules apply in all states that operate SNAP. However, because
each state designs its own SNAP
Employment and Training Program
2014 Farm Bill and Work-Related
(E&T), certain requirements can vary
Eligibility Rules
by state.
For the most part, the 2014 farm bill made very few changes to the
work-related eligibility rules summarized in this report. The new
In addition to the nationwide and
law requires additional reporting for state E&T programs, and it also
state-specific work eligibility rules,
requires and funds pilot projects to evaluate employment programs
for SNAP participants. See CRS Report R43332, SNAP and Related
SNAP law creates a time limit for
Nutrition Provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79), pp. 14-15, for
able-bodied adults without
further detail.
dependents (“ABAWDs”) who are
not working a minimum of 20 hours per week. If these individuals do not work the required
number of hours, they can receive no more than three months of benefits over a 36-month period.
A state does have limited flexibilities with regard to enforcing this time limit, and so an
ABAWD’s eligibility is further affected by whether (1) the individual lives in an area that has
waived the time limit due to local labor market conditions or (2) the state agency chooses to use
its available exemptions to serve the individual beyond the time limit.
These rules are discussed in further detail in the sections to follow.
13 See Table 1 of CRS Report R42054, The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Categorical
Eligibility, by Gene Falk and Randy Alison Aussenberg.
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In All States: Overview of Work-Related Requirements in SNAP
To gain or retain eligibility, most able-bodied adults (with or without dependents) must
• register for work (typically with the SNAP state agency or a state employment
service office);
• accept a suitable job if offered one;
• fulfill any work, job search, or training requirements established by administering
state SNAP agencies;
• provide the administering public assistance agency with sufficient information to
allow a determination with respect to their job availability; and
• not voluntarily quit a job without good cause or reduce work effort below 30
hours a week.
Individuals are disqualified from SNAP for failure to comply with work requirements for periods
of time that differ based upon whether the violation is the first, second, or third. Minimum
periods of disqualification, which may be increased by the state SNAP agency, range from one to
six months. In addition, states have the option to disqualify the entire household for up to 180
days, if the household head fails to comply with work requirements.
The law exempts certain individuals from the above requirements.14 In FY2011, nearly 64% of
SNAP participants were not expected to work because of age or disability. Specifically, 45% of
participants were children; 9% were elderly; and 10% were disabled.15
In FY2013, states reported that 13.3 million participants were subject to SNAP work
requirements and registered for work.16
Varies By State: SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Required
Participation, Services Available
As noted above, those not exempted must register for work and accept suitable job offers; in
addition, state SNAP agencies may require work registrants to fulfill some type of work, job
search, or training obligation.
SNAP agencies must operate an Employment and Training (E&T) program of their own design
for work registrants. SNAP agencies may require all work registrants to participate in one or more
components of their program, or limit participation by further exempting additional categories
14 Exempt from the all-states work requirements are: SNAP participants who are physically or mentally unfit for work;
under age 16 or over age 59; between ages 16 and 18 if they are not a head of household or are attending school or a
training program; persons working at least 30 hours a week or earning the minimum wage equivalent; persons caring
for dependents who are disabled or under age 6; individuals already subject to and complying with another assistance
program’s work, training, or job search requirements (for example, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
or unemployment compensation); eligible postsecondary students; and residents of substance abuse treatment
programs.
15 Based on CRS tabulations of the FY2011 SNAP quality control data files.
16 See USDA FNS FY2015 Budget Explanatory Notes, http://www.obpa.usda.gov/32fns2015notes.pdf, pp. “32-106” –
“32-107.”
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and individuals for whom participation is judged impracticable or not cost effective.17 States may
also make E&T activities open only to those who volunteer to participate.
Program components can include any or all of the following: supervised job search or training for
job search; workfare (work-for-benefits); work experience or training programs; education
programs to improve basic skills; or any other employment or training activity approved by
USDA-FNS.18
In FY2013, states placed nearly 640,000 participants in E&T services.19
“ABAWD” Time Limit
In addition to SNAP’s work registration and E&T program requirements, there is a special time
limit for able-bodied adults, aged 18 to 49 who are without dependents (ABAWDs). This
requirement—often referred to as the “ABAWD Rule”—was added by the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, P.L. 104-193).
SNAP law limits benefits to ABAWDs to 3 months out of a 36-month period, unless the
participant
• works at least 20 hours per week;
• participates in an employment and training program for at least 20 hours per
week; or
• participates in a state’s “workfare” program.20
States have the option, but are not required, to offer ABAWDs a slot in an employment and
training program or a workfare program. Some states “pledge” to serve all ABAWDs in such
programs; others do not. States that “pledge” to serve all ABAWDs in these programs receive
extra federal funding for that purpose. If a state does not offer an ABAWD a slot in an
employment and training or workfare program, benefits can be terminated for those without at
least a half-time job once the three-month limit is reached, unless the individual is covered by an
exemption or a “waiver” of the ABAWD requirement.
Those who lose benefits under this rule are able to reenter the program if, during a 30-day period,
they work 80 hours or more or participate in a work/training activity. ABAWDs who become
employed, but then again lose their jobs can, under some circumstances, earn an additional three
17 Recipients who participate in an E&T activity beyond work registration cannot be required to work more than the
minimum wage equivalent of their household’s benefit. Total hours of required participation (including both work and
any other required activity) cannot exceed 120 hours a month. SNAP agencies also must reimburse participants’ costs
directly related to participation (e.g., transportation and child care). The federal government shares in half the cost of
this support, and state agencies may limit support to local market rates for necessary dependent care.
18 Further resources on the SNAP Employment and Training program: USDA-FNS SNAP website.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Memo/Support/employment-training.htm. See also Section 6(d) of the Food and
Nutrition Act.
19 See USDA FNS FY2015 Budget Explanatory Notes, http://www.obpa.usda.gov/32fns2015notes.pdf, pages “32-106”
– “32-107.”
20 Hours of workfare required will vary by state, but participants’ monthly allotment divided by hours worked must be
greater than or equal to minimum wage. 7 U.S.C. 2029(a)(1).
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months of eligibility, bringing their maximum months of SNAP receipt without working at least
20 hours per week or being in an approved work or training program to 6 months in a 36-month
period.
PRWORA’s 1996 addition of the ABAWD time limit also included the availability of waivers for
a state (or smaller geographic area within a state) based on the area’s job availability data. The
statute provides that the ABAWD rule can be waived (1) for areas with an unemployment rate of
over 10% or (2) if an area “does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for
the individuals.”21 The USDA-FNS regulation (7 C.F.R. 273.24) specifies the criteria that can
qualify a state or portion of a state for a waiver of the ABAWD rule.22 Also, in a state or part of a
state that does not have a waiver, states are also able to exempt a portion of ABAWDs (up to
15%) from the time limit. The number of exemptions allowed is based upon a formula set in
law.23
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) suspended the ABAWD rule from April
2009 through September 2010. During FY2011, FY2012, and FY2013, over 40 states had a
statewide waiver from the ABAWD time limit, due to the extended unemployment insurance
grounds for evidence of “lack of sufficient jobs.”24
Individuals Ineligible for SNAP
Eligibility is sometimes denied for reasons other than financial need or compliance with work-
related requirements.
Many non-citizens are barred—eligibility is extended only to permanent residents legally present
in the United States for at least five years, legal immigrant children (under 18), the elderly and
disabled who were legally resident before August 1996, refugees and asylees, veterans and others
21 Authority for these waivers is located in Section 6(o)(4) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, codified at 7 U.S.C.
2015(o)(4).
22 For a waiver based on 10% unemployment, states may request a waiver with evidence that an area has “a recent 12
month average unemployment rate over 10 percent; recent three month average unemployment rate over 10 percent; or
an historical seasonal unemployment rate over 10 percent.” (7 C.F.R. 273.24(f)(2)(i)) For a waiver based on a “lack of
sufficient jobs,” 7 C.F.R. 273.24(f)(2)(ii) permits a state to submit any of the following as evidence: (1) if an area “is
designated as a Labor Surplus Area (LSA) by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration
(ETA),” (2) “is determined by the Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance Services as qualifying for extended
unemployment benefits,” (3) “has a low and declining employment-to-population ratio,” (4) “has a lack of jobs in
declining occupations or industries,” (4) “is described in an academic study or other publications as an area where there
are lack of jobs,” or (5) “has a 24-month average unemployment rate 20 percent above the national average for the
same 24-month period.”
23 The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33) added these 15% ABAWD exemptions for states (Section 6(o)(6) of
the Food and Nutrition Act, codified at 7 U.S.C. 2015(o)(4)). This provision is implemented through regulation 7
C.F.R. 273.24(g), and further details on the exemptions can be found on the USDA-FNS website:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Memo/PRWORA/abawds/ABAWDsPage.htm.
24 Under this extended unemployment benefits waiver authority, the vast majority of states had statewide waivers of the
time limit in FY2011-FY2013. See, for example, Policy Memorandum from Lizbeth Silbermann, Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents Waivers for Fiscal Year 2013, USDA
Food and Nutrition Service, March 21, 2012, http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/government/pdf/
ABAWD_2013_Trigger_Notice_Memo.pdf. See also CRS Report RL33362, Unemployment Insurance: Programs and
Benefits, by Julie M. Whittaker and Katelin P. Isaacs.
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with a military connection, those with a substantial history of work covered under the Social
Security system, and certain other limited groups of aliens.25
SNAP benefits are denied those who intentionally violate program rules, for specific time periods
ranging from one year (on a first violation) to permanently (on a third violation or other serious
infraction); and states may impose SNAP disqualification when an individual is disqualified from
another public assistance program. Those who transfer assets for the purpose of qualifying for
benefits are also barred.
For the most part, college students (attending higher education courses half-time or more)
between ages 18 and 50 are ineligible for SNAP. A student enrolled in an institution of higher
education more than half-time is only eligible for SNAP benefits if the individual is (1) under 18
years old or age 50 or older; (2) disabled; (3) enrolled in school because of participation in certain
programs;26 (4) employed at least 20 hours per week or participates in a work-study program
during the school year; (5) a parent (in some circumstances);27 OR (6) receiving TANF cash
assistance benefits.
Other ineligibility rules include the following:
• Households with members on strike are denied benefits unless eligible prior to
the strike.
• Individuals living in institutional settings are denied eligibility, except those in
special SSI-approved small group homes for the disabled, persons living in drug
addiction or alcohol treatment programs, and persons in shelters for battered
women and children or shelters for the homeless.
• Boarders cannot receive SNAP benefits unless they apply together with the
household in which they are boarding.
• Persons who fail to provide Social Security numbers or cooperate in providing
information needed to verify eligibility or benefit determinations are ineligible.
• Automatic disqualification is required for those applying in multiple
jurisdictions, fleeing arrest, or convicted of a drug-related felony.28 The 2014
farm bill requires additional felons to comply with the terms of their sentence in
25 Non-citizen rules are many, intersecting, and tied to a number of state options. USDA-FNS has published a
comprehensive guide to non-citizen rules in SNAP - USDA-FNS, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:
Guidance on Non-citizen Eligibility, April 2011, http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/government/pdf/Non-
Citizen_Guidance_063011.pdf. Also see CRS Report RL33809, Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Public Assistance:
Policy Overview and Trends, by Ruth Ellen Wasem.
26 A program under title I of the Workforce Investment Act, a SNAP Employment and Training program, a program
under Section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974, a work incentive program under title IV of the Social Security Act, or
“another program for the purpose of employment and training operated by a state or local government, as determined to
be appropriate by the Secretary.” The 2014 farm bill added an additional specification for college students engaged in
SNAP E&T.
27 An otherwise ineligible student is eligible for SNAP if the student is (1) a single parent enrolled in school full-time
caring for a dependent under the age of 12 years old, (2) a parent caring for a dependent under age 6, or (3) a parent
caring for a child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old for whom child care is not available to enable the parent to
both attend class and work 20 or more hours per week.
28 This matter is further discussed along with other programs’ related rules, in CRS Report R42394, Drug Testing and
Crime-Related Restrictions in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance, by Maggie McCarty et al.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
order to receive SNAP benefits—the implementation of this policy will depend
on federal rulemaking.29
• States may disqualify individuals not cooperating with child support enforcement
authorities or in arrears on their child support obligations.
SNAP Benefits Under Special Eligibility Rules
There are circumstances where SNAP benefits are offered separately and distinctly from the
standard SNAP application and eligibility process. These situations include the issuance of
“transitional” and “disaster” benefits.
Transitional Benefits
States are allowed to provide “transitional” benefits. States have the option to offer up to five
months’ transitional SNAP benefits to those leaving TANF or a similar state-financed program
(for reasons other than a sanction)—without requiring that the household apply for SNAP. The
transitional benefit is the amount received prior to leaving TANF (or a similar state program),
adjusted to account for the loss of TANF/state cash income. Transitional benefit households may
reapply during the five-month period to have their benefits adjusted based on changed
circumstances, and states may opt to adjust benefits based on information received from another
program (like Medicaid) in which the household participates. At the end of the transitional period,
households may reapply for continued benefits under regular SNAP rules. According to the most
recent (August 2012) SNAP State Options Report, 20 states provide transitional benefits.30
Disaster Benefits (“D-SNAP”)
For areas affected by a natural or other disaster, states may request that USDA operate the
Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).31 SNAP benefits are provided to
already participating SNAP households who qualify for replacement or additional benefits as well
as to non-SNAP households who become temporarily eligible under D-SNAP rules. If the disaster
results in households’ ongoing loss of income, households may be eligible to apply for SNAP
under regular program rules after the D-SNAP benefit period has ended.
29 See Jessica Shahin, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2014 -
Implementing Memorandum, USDA-FNS, March 21, 2014, http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/
SNAP%20Provisions%20of%20the%20Agricultural%20Act%20of%202014%20-%20Implementing%20Memo.pdf.
30 USDA-FNS, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State Options Report, August 2012, p. 4,
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Memo/Support/State_Options/10-State_Options.pdf.
31 Please see the USDA-FNS website for further details on D-SNAP and the provision of benefits during emergencies
in recent years: http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/disaster.htm.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
Benefits
SNAP benefits are 100% federally financed and constitute the vast majority of federal spending
for the SNAP program. This section discusses how SNAP benefit amounts are determined, how
the benefits are issued, what benefits may and may not be used
for, and the redemption of benefits.
SNAP Federal Spending
on Benefits32
In FY2013, of the $79.9 billion in
Benefit Amounts (Allotments)
federal spending for the SNAP
program, about 95% ($76.1 billion)
The eligibility rules of SNAP, discussed above, create a
was spent on benefits themselves.
framework by which individuals (constituting a household) are
eligible or ineligible for benefits, but once eligible, the participant is also subject to a benefit
calculation process, which determines the household’s monthly benefit amount or allotment. The
calculation of SNAP benefits takes into account the size of the household, the maximum benefit
for the fiscal year, and the household’s net income. For one- and two-person households, the
minimum benefit may also play a role.
Note:
Farm Bill Changed Treatment of LIHEAP in the Calculation of SNAP Benefits
The 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79) amended the SNAP law’s treatment of Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP) payments during the calculation of SNAP benefits. Specifical y, the new law requires a minimum
payment of LIHEAP before such assistance can impact the calculation of a household’s excess shelter deduction.
Description of benefit calculation in this report remains accurate. For an explanation of the specific LIHEAP issue,
see CRS Report R42591, The 2014 Farm Bill: Changing the Treatment of LIHEAP Receipt in the Calculation of SNAP
Benefits, by Randy Alison Aussenberg and Libby Perl.
Maximum Monthly Allotments
Maximum monthly benefit allotments are tied to the cost of purchasing a nutritionally adequate
low cost diet, as measured by the USDA-created
What share of SNAP households
and -calculated Thrifty Food Plan (TFP).34 The
received the maximum allotment?
TFP is the cheapest of four diet plans meeting
minimal nutrition requirements devised by USDA,
In FY2012, almost 40% of SNAP households
received the maximum possible benefit. This means
specifically USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy
40% of households had a SNAP “net income” of
and Promotion (CNPP). Maximum allotments are
$0.33
set at the monthly cost of the TFP for a four-
person family consisting of a couple between ages
20 and 50 and two school-age children, adjusted for family size (using a formula reflecting
32 Please see the USDA-FNS website, http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/snapmain.htm, for historical SNAP spending and
participation data. Accessed April 24, 2014.
33 See USDA-FNS SNAP household characteristics report, http://www.fns.usda.gov/characteristics-supplemental-
nutrition-assistance-program-households-fiscal-year-2012.
34 As mentioned earlier, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) changed the calculation of the
maximum benefit for the period April 1, 2009, through October 31, 2013. Beginning November 1, 2013, benefit
calculation reverted to pre-ARRA calculation. See CRS Report R43257, Background on the Scheduled Reduction to
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, by Randy Alison Aussenberg and Gene Falk.
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economies of scale developed by the Human Nutrition Information Service), and rounded down
to the nearest whole dollar. Allotments are adjusted for food price inflation annually, each
October, to reflect the cost of the TFP in the immediately previous June. Although USDA
calculates the cost of the TFP each year to account for food price inflation, the contents of the
TFP—often thought of as its own market basket of goods—were last revised in 2006.35 Maximum
allotments are standard across the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, but they are
higher, reflecting substantially different food costs, in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin
Islands.
Table 3. Maximum Possible Monthly SNAP Allotments, FY2015
Effective October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015
48 States and
Household size
DC Alaskaa Hawaii Guam
Virgin
Islands
1 person
$194
$227
$332
$287
$250
2
people
357 417 609 526 459
3
people
511 598 872 753 657
4
people
649 759
1,107 957 835
5
people
771 902 1,315 1,136 991
6
people
925 1,082 1,578 1,364 1,189
7
people
1,022 1,196 1,744 1,507 1,315
8
people
1,169 1,367 1,994 1,723 1,503
Each
additional
person
146 171 249 215 188
Source: USDA, Food and Nutrition Service.
a. Maximum allotment levels in rural Alaska are 27% to 55% higher than the urban Alaska allotments noted in
this table. Rural Alaska’s maximum allotments can be found at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/cost-living-
adjustment-cola-information.
Calculation of a Household’s Monthly Benefit
SNAP benefits are a function of a household’s size, its net (counted) monthly income, and
inflation-indexed maximum monthly benefit levels (in some cases, adjusted for geographic
location). An eligible household’s net income is determined (i.e., the deductions noted earlier for
judging eligibility are subtracted from gross income), its maximum benefit level is established,
and a benefit is calculated by subtracting its expected contribution (by law, 30% of its net
income) from its maximum allotment. This equation is illustrated in the first row of Figure 1.
Thus, (as illustrated in the second row of Figure 1) a three-person household in one of the 48
states with $400 in counted net income (after deductions) would receive a monthly allotment of
$391 in FY2015.36 A three-person household with no counted income would receive the
maximum monthly benefit.
35 Additional USDA resources on the Thrifty Food Plan: Andrea Carlson, Mark Lino, and WenYen Juan, et al., Thrifty
Food Plan, 2006, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, April 2007, http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/
Publications/FoodPlans/MiscPubs/TFP2006Report.pdf.; USDA-CNPP website, http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/
usdafoodplanscostoffood.htm.
36 The FY2015 maximum three-person benefit in the 48 states (plus DC) is $511; then subtract 30% of the household’s
(continued...)
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
Figure 1. Calculating the Monthly Benefit for a Hypothetical Household in FY2015
This illustration utilizes a three-person household in the 48 states (and DC) with net income of $400
Source: Figure by CRS, based on benefit calculation rules. Design by Amber Wilhelm, CRS Graphics Specialist.
Benefits are not taxable and purchases made with SNAP benefits may not be charged sales taxes.
Receipt of SNAP benefits does not affect eligibility for, or benefits provided by, other public
assistance programs, although some programs use SNAP participation as a “trigger” for
eligibility, and others take into account the general availability of SNAP benefits in deciding what
level of benefits to provide.
Minimum Benefit
Eligible households are guaranteed a minimum monthly benefit allotment equal to 8% of the
maximum benefit for a one-person household; effective October 2008. This replaces an older rule
stipulating a minimum benefit of $10 a month only for one- and two-person households.37 For
FY2015, the minimum benefit is $16 a month for a household in the 48 states and DC. This
means that if the benefit calculation for a one- or two-person household yields a result of less
than $16, that household is guaranteed to receive $16 a month. In FY2012, 5% of SNAP
households received the minimum benefit.38
Issuance of Benefits
Benefit issuance is a state agency responsibility, and states contract with private vendors to carry
out most of their issuance activities. Benefits are provided through electronic benefit transfer
(EBT) systems under which recipients are issued a debit-like card that they use to make food
purchases. At the point of sale, retailers automatically debit the recipient’s SNAP account and
credit their own account. EBT cards can include both SNAP benefits (usable only to buy food
items) and cash benefits (e.g., TANF payments, unemployment payments, child support
payments); only cash benefits can be accessed using the card at ATMs.39
(...continued)
net income, which equals $120.
37 Calculating the minimum benefit based on a percentage of the maximum was added by the Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 (“2008 farm bill”; P.L. 110-246).
38 See USDA-FNS SNAP household characteristics report, http://www.fns.usda.gov/characteristics-supplemental-
nutrition-assistance-program-households-fiscal-year-2012.
39 For a state-by-state map displaying TANF/SNAP EBT status, please see USDA-FNS Office of Research and
Analysis, Building a Healthy America: A Profile of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, April 2012, p. 33,
(continued...)
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
SNAP benefits normally are issued monthly. The state SNAP agency must either deny eligibility
or make benefits available within 30 days of initial application and must provide allotments
without interruption if an eligible household reapplies
and fulfills recertification requirements in a timely
Average Allotments40
manner. Households in immediate need because of little
In FY2013, monthly benefits averaged $133
or no income and very limited cash assets, as well as the
per person, $275 per household.
homeless and those with extraordinarily high shelter
expenses, must be given expedited service (provision of benefits within seven days of initial
application). A household’s calculated monthly allotment can be prorated (reduced) for one
month. On application, a household’s first month’s benefit is reduced to reflect the date of
application. If a previously participating household does not meet eligibility recertification
requirements in a timely fashion, but does become certified for eligibility subsequently, benefits
for the first month of its new certification period normally are prorated to reflect the date when
recertification requirements were met.
Redemption of Benefits
SNAP benefits are not the same as cash. As such, they are only redeemable at authorized stores,
equipped with EBT machines. Also, EBT issuance of benefits is technologically designed so that
they may only be redeemed for SNAP-eligible foods and the benefit cards may not be used at
automatic teller machines. “Trafficking” is the term used to refer to the sale of SNAP benefits for
cash. Trafficking is illegal and enforced by USDA-FNS using a number of methods. The Food
and Nutrition Act includes penalties for retailers and participants engaged in trafficking; penalties
include fines and imprisonment. An analysis of trafficking during the 2009-2011 period estimated
that the trafficking rate is 1.3%, up from 1.0% in the 2006-2008 study.41
Items That May Be Purchased With SNAP Benefits
Typically, participating households use their benefits in approved stores to buy food items for
home preparation and consumption. In general, SNAP benefits may be redeemed for any foods
for home preparation and consumption. SNAP benefits may not be redeemed for alcohol,
tobacco, or hot foods intended for immediate consumption.
According to the Food and Nutrition Act, SNAP may also be redeemed for seeds and plants to
produce food for personal consumption. Elderly and disabled recipients and their spouses may
redeem SNAP benefits for meals prepared and served through approved communal dining
programs or home-delivered meal providers. SNAP may also be redeemed for meals prepared and
served to residents of drug addiction and alcoholic treatment programs, small group homes for the
disabled, shelters for battered women and children, and shelters or other establishments serving
(...continued)
http://www.fns.usda.gov/ORA/menu/Published/SNAP/FILES/Other/BuildingHealthyAmerica.pdf.
40 See the USDA-FNS website, http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/snapmain.htm, for historical SNAP spending and
participation data. Accessed April 24, 2014.
41 Mantovani, Richard, Eric Sean Williams, and Jacqueline Pflieger. The Extent of Trafficking in the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program: 2009–2011. Prepared by ICF International for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food
and Nutrition Service, August 2013., http://www.fns.usda.gov/extent-trafficking-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-
program-2009-2011-august-2013.
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the homeless. In the case of certain remote areas of Alaska, benefits may be redeemed for
procuring food by hunting and fishing (e.g., nets, hooks, fishing rods, and knives). According to
annual benefit redemption data collected by USDA-FNS, in FY2013, over 98% of SNAP benefits
were redeemed in markets and stores, and the remaining share, less than 2%, were redeemed at
meal services and delivery routes.42 More specifically, almost 82% of SNAP benefits were
redeemed at “superstores” and supermarkets (See Table 4 for this FY2013 retailer data).43
SNAP-Authorized Retailers
SNAP benefits may be redeemed only at authorized retailers. The SNAP program bases benefit
redemption on the offerings and authorization of the retailer. The list of retailers that are
authorized is varied—from supermarkets, to farmers markets, to convenience stores. Table 4
displays the prevalence of each retailer type and the share of benefits redeemed at each type.
Whether a retailer is authorized requires two general steps: (1) an application for authorization44
and (2) passing a USDA-FNS administered inspection and authorization process. While there are
many regulatory or administrative details, the statutory guidelines for the process are based upon
the Food and Nutrition Act’s definition of staple foods and inventory share requirements.45 The
four categories of staple foods are meat, poultry, or fish; bread or cereal; vegetables or fruits; and
dairy products. Pending implementation of the 2014 farm bill’s new inventory requirements (see
text box, next page), either an eligible retailer must offer
• three varieties of qualifying foods in each of the staple food categories, and
• perishable foods in at least two of the staple food categories;
Or,
• more than 50% of the retailer’s total sales must be from the sale of eligible staple
foods (this latter definition is utilized to authorize specialty stores that may
specialize in certain of the staple food categories, e.g., a bakery, produce store, or
butcher).
Restaurants
For the most part, SNAP benefits are not redeemable at restaurants, recalling that the benefits are
not redeemable for hot, prepared foods. However, there does exist a state restaurant option. Under
this option, states can choose to authorize restaurants to accept SNAP benefits for homeless,
elderly, and disabled individuals—populations that may have difficulty preparing food, in
addition to purchasing food. According to information provided by USDA-FNS, California,
Arizona, and Michigan currently operate state-administered restaurant programs serving their
elderly, homeless, and disabled populations.46 California operates a restaurant program in five
42 USDA-FNS, “SNAP Retailer Management 2013 Annual Report,” http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/snap/
2013-annual-report.pdf .
43 Ibid.
44 USDA-FNS website, http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailers/application-process.htm.
45 A very brief overview of the requirements of the statutory definitions and licensing process is provided here:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailers/store-eligibility.htm.
46 Three jurisdictions also have recently begun to operate restaurant pilot programs. In 2009, 2010, and 2011,
respectively, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island started pilots.
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counties, added in phases between 2003 and 2007. Arizona began its program in October of 2007.
Michigan authorized one restaurant in 2000, a second in 2005, and the remainder as part of an
expanded program in 2009 and 2010. As described above, the restaurants have to become
licensed retailers by first entering into the contracts with the state agency and then getting
authorization from USDA. FY2013 redemption data indicate that approximately $53.5 million (or
less than 0.1% of SNAP benefits) were redeemed at “meal delivery/private restaurants.”47
Pending rulemaking of the 2014 farm bill requirements, USDA will have increased oversight
authority regarding this option.
2014 Farm Bill Changes Retailer Requirements,
Rulemaking Is Pending
Once new regulations are in place, retailers seeking authorization based on variety of stock (rather than 50% of sales)
will have to stock at least seven varieties of staple foods in each of the four staple food categories and
stock perishable foods in at least three categories. The law, pending rulemaking, also puts in place additional
requirements for retailers’ EBT service. USDA wil have increased oversight over the restaurant meals program as
wel as requirements to authorize new types of retailers and benefit redemption.
For a detailed account of how the 2014 farm bill changed retailer and benefit redemption law, see CRS Report
R43332, SNAP and Related Nutrition Provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79), by Randy Alison Aussenberg, pp. 20-
26.
To track USDA’s implementation of retail policies, see the agency’s SNAP website on 2014 Farm Bill
Implementation.48
Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ markets may become SNAP-licensed retailers.49 USDA reported that 4,057 farmers’
markets or individual farmers were authorized to accept SNAP benefits in FY2013, and they
redeemed a total of $21.2 million in SNAP benefits.50 Compared to FY2012, this is an increase of
over 26% in authorizations and over 27% in benefits redeemed. In FY2013, 49% of the direct-
from-farm authorized retailers were in 10 states (California, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania).
States, localities, and farmers’ market networks have created SNAP bonus incentive programs to
target the redemption of benefits at farmers’ markets. These allow SNAP participants to redeem
their benefits for more than “money on the dollar.” For example, a participant may exchange $3
of benefits for a $6 voucher to redeem at the market.51 In the past, USDA-FNS, however, requires
that the bonus funds be non-federal dollars; although, the 2014 farm bill creates a competitive
47 USDA-FNS, “SNAP Retailer Management 2013 Annual Report,” http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/snap/
2013-annual-report.pdf .
48 http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/2014-farm-bill-implementation.
49 For authorization information see USDA, FNS, “SNAP: Learn How You Can Accept SNAP Benefits at Farmers’
Markets,” http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/fm.htm.
50 USDA-FNS, “SNAP Retailer Management 2013 Annual Report,” http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/snap/
2013-annual-report.pdf .
51 For information on some examples of SNAP bonus incentive programs, see a news release from a private sponsor for
a program in Rhode Island ("BankRI Supports Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s Bonus Bucks for Snap Program,” December
6, 2011, https://www.bankri.com/AboutBankRI/News/NewsArticles/tabid/272/smid/747/ArticleID/146/reftab/216/t/
BankRI-Supports-Farm-Fresh-Rhode-Island-s-Bonus-Bucks-for-Snap-Program/Default.aspx) and a listing of Detroit
farmers’ markets that participated in summer 2011 ("Bridge Card Bonus at Farmers’ Markets This Summer,” July 7,
2011, http://www.doubleupfoodbucks.org).
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
grant program that will provide limited funding for bonus incentives.52 Prior to 2010, markets had
to apply to FNS for a waiver of the rules through the state SNAP agency. Beginning early in
2010, FNS allowed farmers’ markets that secured non-federal bonus incentive funding to be
eligible through a blanket waiver, so markets now just report to an FNS field office that they are
conducting a bonus incentive program.53
52 USDA-FNS, “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—Bonus Incentives,” http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/
fm-scrip-Bonus_Incentives.htm; see also Food Insecurity Incentive Grants, Section 4208 of P.L. 113-79, includes $100
million in mandatory funding over FY2014-FY2018. USDA implementation of FINI grants, http://www.nifa.usda.gov/
fo/foodinsecuritynutritionincentive.cfm.
53 February 2012 email communication with FNS-SNAP staff.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
Table 4. Retailers Authorized and Benefits Redeemed by Retailer Type, FY2013
Retailer Types Are Displayed in Order of Each Type’s Share
Retailers Authorized by Retailer Type
Share of Benefits Redeemed by Retailer Type
#
% of All
$ Redeemed
% of All
Type of Retailer
Authorized
Retailers
Type of Retailer
(in millions)
SNAP
a
Authorized
Redemptions
Convenience Store
101,059
40.0% Super Store
$37,028.4
48.7%
Combination
64,283 25.4%
Supermarket
$25,006.9
32.9%
Grocery/Other
Super Store
18,804
7.4% Combination
$4,850.7
6.4%
Grocery/Other
Supermarket 18,670
7.4%
Convenience
Store
$3,831.2
5.0%
Small Grocery
14,610 5.8%
Medium
Grocery $1,598.8
2.1%
Store
Store
Medium Grocery
11,756 4.6%
Large
Grocery $1,191.1
1.6%
Store
Store
Meal Servicesb 4,296
1.7%
Smal
Grocery
$1,009.7
1.3%
Store
Farmers’ Market
4,057 1.6%
Meat/Poultry
$481.0
0.6%
and Direct
Specialty
Marketing Farmers
Large Grocery
3,691 1.5%
Meal
Servicesb $210.7
0.3%
Store
Meat/Poultry
3,455 1.4%
Seafood
Specialty $194.9
0.3%
Specialty
Bakery Specialty
3,131 1.2%
Bakery
Specialty $171.3
0.2%
Store
Seafood Specialty
1,835
0.7% Delivery Route
$138.3
0.2%
Fruits/Vegetable
1,655 0.7%
Fruits/Vegetable $104.9
0.1%
Specialty Store
Specialty Stores
Delivery Route
1,073
0.4% Military
$103.7
0.1%
Commissary
Non-Profit Food
386 0.2%
Non-Profit
Food
$31.2
0.0%
Buying Co-op
Buying Co-op
Military
188 0.1%
Farmers’
Market
$21.2
0.0%
Commissary
and Direct
Marketing Farmers
Wholesaler 13
0.0%
Wholesaler $8.8
0.0%
TOTAL
252,962
100.0% TOTAL Benefits
$74,584.9
100.0%
Retailers
Source: USDA-FNS, “SNAP Retailer Management 2013 Annual Report,” http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/
files/snap/2013-annual-report.pdf .
Notes: The retailer classifications listed here are the labels utilized by the SNAP Benefit Redemption Division.
“0.0%” indicates less than 0.05%.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits
a. Dol ar amounts and total differ from the USDA-FNS source data due to rounding.
b. The retailer types of Communal Dining Facility, Drug Alcohol Treatment Program, Group Living
Arrangement, Homeless Meal Provider, Meal Delivery Service, Private Restaurant/Meal Delivery, Senior
Citizens’ Center/Residential Building, and Shelter for Battered Women and Children have been consolidated
to “Meal Services” for this CRS table.
Author Contact Information
Randy Alison Aussenberg
Specialist in Nutrition Assistance Policy
raussenberg@crs.loc.gov, 7-8641
Acknowledgments
This report has been adapted from the work of Joe Richardson, retired CRS Specialist in Social Policy, and
Gene Falk, CRS Specialist in Social Policy. Elizabeth A. Crowe, a Research Assistant in the Domestic
Social Policy division, assisted with updating this report.
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