Food Stamp Facts

Food Stamp Facts

The Food Stamp Program helps low-income

people buy food. Although it is a federal

government program, it is run by state or 

local agencies.

Anyone can apply for food stamps. To 

get food stamps, you and the other people in

your household must meet certain conditions.

Everyone who is applying in your household

must have or apply for a Social Security

number and be either a U.S. citizen, U.S.

national or have status as a qualified alien. 

The following qualified aliens are eligible for

food stamps without a waiting period:

• Legal immigrant children under age 18;

• Blind or disabled legal immigrants who

receive disability assistance or benefits;

• People who legally resided in the U.S. on

August 22, 1996, and were age 65 or older on

August 22, 1996;

• Lawful permanent residents who are active

duty members or veterans of the U.S. armed

forces or a spouse or a child of a veteran or

active duty service member;

• Refugees admitted under section 207 of the

Immigration and Nationality Act (INA);

• Asylees under section 208 of the INA;

• Deportees or removal withheld under section

234(h) or 241(b)(3) of the INA;

• Cuban or Haitian entrants under section

501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance

Act of 1980;

• Amerasian immigrants under section 584 

of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing

and Related Programs Appropriations Act 

of 1988.

The following legal aliens are eligible

without a waiting period even if they are not

qualified aliens: 

• Hmong or Highland Laotian tribal members

(including their spouses and children) 

who helped the U.S. military during the

Vietnam era;

• American Indians born in Canada;

• Members of Indian tribes under section

450b(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and

Education Assistance Act.

Who can get food stamps?

The following qualified aliens are eligible if

they have lived in the U.S. for five years in

qualified status:

• Lawful permanent residents (they may be

eligible sooner than five years if they have 

40 work credits);

• Parolees (paroled for at least one year under

section 212(d)(5) of INA);

• Conditional entrants under 203(a)(7) of INA

in effect prior to April 1, 1980;

• A battered spouse, battered child or parent or

child of a battered person with a petition

pending under 204(a)(1)(A) or (B) or 244(a)(3)

of INA.

Most able-bodied people between the ages of

18 and 60 must register for work to qualify for

food stamps. Many people may be required to

participate in an employment or training program. Some college students also may be eligible.

Generally, your household cannot have more

than $2,000 in resources. But, if your household includes a person age 60 or older or who

is disabled, the limit is $3,000. Resources of

people who receive Supplemental Security

Income (SSI) or benefits under the Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program

are not counted for food stamp purposes.

Resources include cash, bank accounts and

other property.

Not all the things you own count. For

example, your home and the land it is on do

not count for food stamp eligibility. A car or

truck counts differently depending on how 

it is used. Most states now use TANF rules 

in place of food stamp vehicle rules if the

TANF rules are more beneficial to the food

stamp household.

Most households also must meet an income

limit. Certain things do not count as income

and can be subtracted from your income. Your

household may qualify for other income exclusions if it includes a person age 60 or older or

disabled. The income limits vary by household

size and may change each year.

Resources (things you own)

(over)

www.socialsecurity.gov
Food Stamps

Help, Information and Applications 

Available at any Social Security Office

Getting or applying only for 

Social Security?

Getting or applying for

Supplemental Security 

Income (SSI)?

YOU CAN GET A FOOD 

STAMP APPLICATION AND 

INFORMATION AT ANY 

SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE.

YOU CAN APPLY FOR FOOD

STAMPS AT ANY SOCIAL

SECURITY OFFICE IF YOU AND

EVERYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD GET OR APPLY FOR SSI.

We cannot take food stamp 

applications from people 

getting or applying only for 

Social Security.

We will help you fill out the food

stamp application. You do not 

have to go to the food stamp office

to apply.

Food stamp applications are available at 

any Social Security office. If you and everyone

in your household are applying for or already

getting SSI payments, any Social Security 

office will help you fill out the food stamp

application and send it to the food stamp office

for you.

All others, including those applying for or

getting only Social Security, must take or send

their food stamp applications to the local food

stamp office or to any Social Security office

where a food stamp representative works.

When you are interviewed, you also 

should have:

• Identification such as a driver’s license, state

ID, birth certificate or alien card;

• Proof of income such as pay stubs, Social

Security, SSI, or a pension for each member

of your household;

• Proof of how much you spend for child care;

• Rent receipts or proof of your mortgage

payments;

• Records of your utility costs; and

• Medical bills for those members of your

household age 60 or older, and for those

who receive government payments such as

How can you apply for food stamps? Social Security or SSI because they 

are disabled.

You can find out how much you may be 

able to get online through the Food Stamp 

Pre-Screening Tool at 

www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov.

Contact your Social Security or local food

stamp office for more information about the

Food Stamp Program and eligibility rules.

Remember, Social Security does not decide if

you are eligible for food stamps.

For general information and to get copies 

of our publications, visit our website 

at www.socialsecurity.gov or call toll-free, 

1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hearing,

call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). We 

can answer specific questions and provide

information by automated phone service 24

hours a day.

We treat all calls confidentially. We want to

make sure you receive accurate and courteous

service. That is why we have a second Social

Security representative monitor some telephone calls.

Contacting Social Security

How much can you get?

Social Security Administration

SSA Publication No. 05-10101

ICN 468655

Unit of Issue - HD (one hundred)

September 2004 (Recycle prior editions) Printed on recycled paper

www.socialsecurity.gov