People with low incomes can get help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy healthier food. This helps millions of Americans stick to their budgets. Individuals who receive SNAP benefits are given an electronic benefits card (EBT), which lets them buy food at authorized stores when they do not have enough money to meet their basic needs.
Learn more about the new SNAP restrictions that will impact thousands of beneficiaries
Because SNAP benefits are mostly meant to be used for food, it is important to think about what you can buy over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
You can use SNAP coupons to buy things like plant seeds, bottled water, cold drinks, meal replacement shakes, protein powder, live seafood, and more that you might not have known existed.
SNAP limits what can be bought with EBT cards, such as certain things like alcohol, tobacco, supplements, and non-food items. These limits include hot prepared foods, vitamins, alcoholic drinks, and non-food items like household goods and pet food.
The Food and Nutrition Service website says that stores that take EBT cards should not take SNAP benefits for things that are not allowed, even if the customer says it is an emergency or they do not have any other money to pay for it. These things are:
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco.
- Vitamins, drugs, and supplements. Don’t forget that an item is deemed a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase if it bears a label including information regarding supplements.
- Live animals (except shellfish, fish taken from the water, and animals slaughtered before being picked up from the store).
- Food that is hot when you want to buy at the store
- Any non-food items such as:
- Pet food
- Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household items.
- Hygiene items, cosmetics.
How much money do SNAP beneficiaries receive in their monthly benefits?
The report says that families who get SNAP should spend 30% of their net income on food purchases. Also, families with no net income get the most help, which is based on how much the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) costs.
Based on the idea that low-income families work hard to stretch their food budget, the TFP is the amount of money needed to buy and prepare a diet that meets the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to USDA’s August 2021 TFP update, millions of families can now afford a healthy, well-balanced diet. This is because SNAP payments will go up starting in October 2021.
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, we know the current payment amounts per household and the expected benefit amounts that all eligible households in the US will receive:
| Household Size | Maximum Monthly Benefit,
Fiscal Year 2025 |
Estimated Average Monthly Benefit, Fiscal Year 2025* |
| 1 | $292 | $199 |
| 2 | $536 | $364 |
| 3 | $768 | $594 |
| 4 | $975 | $726 |
| 5 | $1,158 | $845 |
| 6 | $1,390 | $1,018 |
| 7 | $1,536 | $1,116 |
| 8 | $1,756 | $1,317 |
| Each additional person | $220 |
Who is not eligible to receive benefits from the SNAP program?
Certain groups of people can not get SNAP, even if they have money or assets. The people in these groups are on strike, everyone who does not have a legal immigration status, some full-time college students, some immigrants who do have legal immigration status, and some people who have a history of drug-related felonies in some states.
States have a lot of freedom to make work requirements apply to many other SNAP households. In many parts of the country, adults between the ages of 18 and 54 who do not have children living with them and do not have any disabilities can only get three months of SNAP benefits every three years.
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