A Word About SNAP Requirements
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Collapse ▲Featured Article from the More in My Basket team:
Have you ever heard about the SNAP program? SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It is also called Food and Nutrition Services or FNS in North Carolina. If that still does not ring a bell for you, that means you most likely know this program as “food stamps.”
According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the name food stamps was replaced by SNAP in the United States in October of 2008 to help fight the stigma associated with the term. Nowadays, participants of SNAP receive a debit card to use their benefits instead of having a paper coupon.
In the US, 41 million people receive SNAP benefits each year (NC DHHS). In North Carolina, the program serves about 1.6 million people. That means about 1.6 million people are eating better than they would without SNAP. We know that good nutrition leads to healthy and active bodies, so it is important that people use SNAP.
However, not everyone who is eligible for the program knows that they are. This is why today we will discuss SNAP in detail and go over the eligibility requirements.
General Requirements
The general requirements state that to be eligible for SNAP, applicants must be U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents (after a five-year waiting period), or have another eligible immigration status. They should also meet residency requirements for the state of North Carolina and have a monthly income equal to or below the SNAP/FNS program limits.
Income Limits
All households must receive a certain income to receive benefits, and the income limits vary by household size. Eligibility workers at your local county Department of Social Services (DSS) will help you determine which income limit applies to your household. They will also evaluate other criteria such as household composition, resources and citizenship/immigration status to determine eligibility.
A household is defined as everyone in the family who buys and cooks food together. If your household’s total income is at or below the gross income (before taxes) limits below, you may be eligible for SNAP/FNS:
Household of 1: $2,510
Household of 2: $3,408
Household of 3: $4,304
Household of 4: $5,200
Household of 5: $6,098
For each additional member: +$898
Keep in mind that these income limits change every October 1 as that is the beginning of the new federal fiscal year.
College Students
The requirements for college students are slightly different from the general requirements. To be eligible for SNAP in North Carolina, students must be between the ages of 18 and 51 and enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher education. In addition to general and household income requirements, students must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Work at least 20 hours a week in paid employment.
- Participate in a state or federally financed work-study program.
- Participate in an on-the-job training program.
- Care for a child under the age of 6.
- Care for a child aged 6 to 11 and lack the necessary childcare enabling you to attend school and work 20 hours a week or participate in work-study.
- Single parent enrolled full-time in college and taking care of a child under 12.
- Receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance.
International students cannot apply for SNAP.
Social Security Number
Everyone in your household must have a Social Security number to receive SNAP benefits. People in your household who do not want to receive FNS/SNAP benefits do not have to give their Social Security number, they’re known as non-applicants.
Owning Property
You may be able to get FNS/SNAP even if you own a home, car, land, and/or property. North Carolina no longer uses the resource limit test for most households. The DSS office will tell you if your household must meet a resource limit test.
What Information is on the Application?
The SNAP application is going to require the following information about everyone you add to your household and is applying for benefits:
- Names, birthdays and Social Security numbers
- Income information from the last 30 days
- Banking and assets information
- Expenses information (such as rent, utilities, etc.)
- Active medical bills for individuals aged 60 or above, or for individuals who have a disability
What Happens if I get Approved?
Your local DSS will take between 30 to 45 days to review your application and get back to you with the next steps. If you are approved for SNAP, you will receive an EBT card in the mail. EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer and it looks and works just like a debit card.
SNAP can be used to buy food items at most grocery or convenience stores, gas stations and some farmers markets. SNAP can also be used to buy seeds and plant starters, allowing you to grow your own fruits and vegetables. You cannot use your EBT card to buy tobacco, pet food, paper products, soap products or alcohol.
SNAP Assistance
The SNAP application is long and can be daunting. If you would like assistance in going over the application, learn more about eligibility or have any other questions about SNAP in North Carolina, contact the More In My Basket (MIMB) team.
MIMB has been serving North Carolinians for 15 years and is happy to answer your questions over the phone. They have two toll free lines, one for English and Portuguese (1-855-240-1451) and another for Spanish (1-888-382-7105).
You can also find information on their website by visiting morefood.org.
Their team is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Local Resources
Looking for more specific resources for food assistance here in Duplin County? Check out our Food Assistance Resources for Duplin County page.
Sources:
- https://www.morefood.org/using-snap/am-i-eligible/
- https://www.morefood.org/using-snap/faqs/
- https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/history#:~:text=In%20efforts%20to%20fight%20stigma,or%20SNAP%20as%20of%20Oct.
- https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/program-statistics-and-reviews/fns-caseload-statistics-reports
- https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance- program-snap