While thinking about food assistance can be a humbling experience, it is a safety net that is thankfully there when needed if you qualify.

To be eligible for foor assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - formerly known as food stamps), you and the household you live in must meet certain citizenship, work, income and resource eligibility standards.

Citizenship: SNAP is available to all U.S. citizens and many non-citizens.

Household: A "household" is basically the people you live with - whether you'ae related by blood or marriage or not. There are different regulations for families, people age 60 or over and for people living in an institution.

Work: If you're able to work, eligibility requirements differ if you are working and if you are not working.

Income: The program looks at both Gross Income and Net Income. Allowable income levels vary if your health condition makes you disabled within the definition of the program. A household with an elderly person or a disabled person only has to meet the net income test. There are exceptions to the income test.

Resources: You can have resources of up to $2,000 ($3,000 if one member of the household is age 60 or over). Many resources don't count toward this limit - such as the value of the residence in which you live. There are special rules concerning automobiles.

Eligibility Tool: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a pre-screening tool that can help determine if you are eligible. See:http://www.snap-step1.usda.gov/fns/  The pre-screening tool should only be used as a general guide. It is advisable to always check with your local office to determine if you are eligible. Local rules may vary.

For additional information, see:

• Who Is Eligible For Supplemental Nutrition Assistance?  
  
• Definition Of A "Household" For Nutrition Assistance Purposes  
• Work Requirements For Purposes Of Nutritional Assistance  
  
• Income You Can Have And Still Get Nutritional Assistance  
  
• Resources You Can Have And Still Get Nutritional Assistance
  

The definition of "household" for purposes of Nutrition Assistance is important because the definition determines whose income and resources are to be taken into account when determining eligibility.

Generally, a "household" is everyone who lives together and purchases food together and prepares meals together. It doesn't matter whether or not there is a blood or marital relationship. It also doesn't matter whether the members are of the same or different sexes.

As described below, there are different regulations for:

• Families
• People age 60 or over
• People living in an institution

Families

Families, such as husbands and wives and most children under age 22, are considered one household as long as they live together even if they purchase and prepare meals separately.

People Age 60 Or Over

A person age 60 or over may be considered a separate household for food stamp eligibility purposes if:

• He or she is unable to purchase and prepare meals separately because of a permanent disability; and
• The other member(s) of the house have income of less than 165% of federal poverty level. 

People Living In An Institution

Generally, people residing in an institution are not eligible for food stamps if the institution provides meals. However, there are the following exceptions:

• Residents of federally subsidized housing for the elderly may be eligible for food stamps even though they receive their meals at the facility.
• Disabled people who live in certain nonprofit group living arrangements (small group homes with no more than 16 residents) may be eligible for food stamps even though the group home prepares meals for them.

All U.S. citizens may qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance.

The following non-citizens may also qualify:

• Refugees, asylees, Cubans, Haitians, Amerasians, and people whose deportation has been withheld, may be eligible for a period of 7 years after they enter the U.S. or after they are granted legal status.
• People legally admitted for permanent residence may be eligible if they have 40 qualifying quarters of Social Security work coverage or they have a connection to the U.S. military.
• People legally admitted for permanent residence and battered aliens may be eligible if they were legally living in the U.S. on August 22, 1996 and they were age 65 on that date, or are now receiving disability payments, or are under the age of 18.
• Foreign-born members of native American tribes entitled to cross into Canada or Mexico.
• Certain Hmong and Highland Laotians and their spouses and children.

Even if some members of the household are not eligible, those who are may still be able to get assistance with purchasing food.

If you are able to work, eligibility requirements differ if you are working and if you are not working.

If you are able to work but are not working:

• If you are between age 16 and 60, you must be looking for work, accept a job offer if given, or be going to vocational training of some sort.
• If you are in good health and between 18 and 50, and do not have any dependent children, you may be limited to the number of months you can get Food Stamps. There is an exception if your state has a waiver for your area because of high unemployment or a shortage of jobs. Other members of the household may continue to get food stamps even if a person who is able to work is disqualified. This requirement is waived in some locations.

If you are working:

• You can work and still get Food Assistance depending on the state you live in and the amount of your wages.
• You are probably not eligible for Food Assistance if you recently quit a job for no reason or if you are on strike when you apply (unless you could have qualified before you went on strike).

There are two income tests to qualify for food assistance: gross income and net income. Most households must meet both the gross and net income tests. A household with an elderly person or a disabled person only has to meet the net income test. There are exceptions to the income test.

Elderly Person Defined

For purposes of food stamps, an "elderly person" is a person age 60 or older.

"Disabled" for Food Assistance purposes

A person is considered to be "disabled" for food assistance purposes if he or she:

• Receives Federal disability or blindness payments under the Social Security Act, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Income (SSDI); OR
• Receives State disability or blindness payments based on SSI rules; OR
• Receives a disability retirement benefit from a governmental agency because of a disability considered permanent under the Social Security Act; OR
• Receives an annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act and is eligible for Medicare or is considered to be disabled based on the SSI rules; OR
• Is a veteran who is totally disabled, permanently housebound, or in need of regular aid and attendance; OR
• Is a surviving spouse or child of a veteran who is receiving VA benefits and is considered to be permanently disabled.

Gross Income for Food Stamp purposes

Gross income means a household's total, non-excluded income, before any deductions have been made.

Net income for Food Assitance purposes

During the period October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015< net income is gross income minus the following allowable deductions:

• A 20% deduction from earned income.
• A standard deduction  of $155 for households of 1 - 3 people, $165 for a household of 4 people and more for larger families. 
  • These numbers are higher in Alaska and Hawaii.
  • The numbers are higher for larger households. 
• A dependent care deduction when needed for work, training, or education to a maximum per dependent..
• Medical expenses, including health insurance premiums and transportation for medical purposes, for elderly or disabled members which are more than $35 for the month, provided they are not paid by insurance or someone else not part of the household.
• Legally owed child support payments.
• Excess shelter costs, which is the cost of shelter that is more than half of the household's income after the other deductions. Shelter costs include:
  • The cost of fuel to heat and with which to cook.
  • Electricity.
  • Water.
  • The basic fee for one telephone.
  • Rent or mortgage payments.
  • Taxes on the home.

The amount of the shelter deduction is limited. 

Allowable Amount of Income

Households, except those noted, that have income over the amounts listed below cannot get food stamps.

For October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015, the income limits are:

Exception to the Income Rules

The income test does NOT apply:

• To households where ALL members are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), formerly called Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).
• In some states in which recipients of General Assistance or General Relief (often called County Welfare) are exempted from an income test.

For the period October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, households may not have $2,250 or more in countable resources, such as a bank account, stocks or other resources - unless at least one person in the household is age 60 or older. If at least one person in the household is age 60 or older, the amount of resources which are permitted increases to $3,250.

The following resources are not counted toward a permitted limit:

• The home that you live in.
• The lot on which the home you live in sits.
• The resources of people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
• The resources of people who receive Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF), formerly called Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).
• Most retirement accounts. (For a list of reitrement accounts that do not count as resources for SNAP purposes, click here . If there is a problem with the link, go to the USDA website at www.fns.usda.gov and type SNAP resources.)
• For vehicles, the fair market value over $4,650 or the equity value (whichever is more) is counted as a resource. However, one licensed vehicle per household is NOT counted if it is:
  • Used over 50% of the time for income-producing purposes, annually producing income consistent with its fair market value. OR
  • Used for work, training, or education to prepare for work, or to seek work in accordance with the food stamp employment and training requirements. OR
  • Used as the home. OR
  • Needed to transport a physically disabled household member. OR
  • Needed to carry most of the household's fuel or water.
  • For example, there are two cars in the household, one is worth $15,000, the other has a fair market value of $6,000. One car is used by a disabled person for medical visits so the $15,000 is not counted as a resource. Only $1,350 ($6,000 - $4,650) is counted toward the resource limit.

NOTE: States have the option to liberalize the rules for valuing a vehicle by a variety of different formulas.