SNAP Facts
Document Actions
Department of Human Services Nutrition Program Facts -- SNAP
What is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)?
Who is eligible to receive SNAP?
What is being done to prevent retailer fraud and trafficking in the SNAP?
How is each household's SNAP allotment determined?
On average, how much help does the SNAP provide?
What foods are eligible for purchase with SNAP?
What prevents SNAP from being issued to people who don’t qualify?
What are some characteristics of SNAP households at the national level
Don't some territories, such as Puerto Rico, use a different version of the SNAP?
How many people nationally get SNAP benefits, and what is the cost?
What are the current gross and net income eligibility standards in Hawaii?
How many people are receiving SNAP in Hawaii?
What are the current maximum allotment levels for the State of Hawaii?
Federal and other State related links
1. What is SNAP?
Nationally, SNAP helps put food on the table for some 28 million people month. It provides low-income households with coupons that can be used like cash at most grocery stores to ensure that they have access to a healthy diet.
SNAP represents the pledge that hunger will not be tolerated in America. It is the tangible expression of the unalterable belief that everyone has a right to food for themselves and their families. The program is the cornerstone of the Federal government’s food assistance programs.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administer the SNAP at the Federal level through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). State agencies administer the program at the State and local levels, including determination of eligibility and allotments.
2. Who is eligible to receive SNAP?
Households must meet eligibility requirements and provide proof of their statements about household circumstances. U.S. citizens and some aliens who are admitted for permanent residency may qualify. The welfare reform act of 1996 ended eligibility for some immigrants, and placed time limits on benefits for able-bodied, childless adults.
To participate in the SNAP:
--Households may have no more than $2,000 in countable resources, such as a bank account ($3,000 if at least one person in the household is age 60 or older or disabled). Certain resources are not counted, such as a home and lot.
--The gross monthly income of most households must be 130 percent or less of the Federal poverty guidelines. Gross income includes all cash payments to the household, with a few exceptions specified in the law or the program regulations.
--Net monthly income must be 100 percent or less of the Federal poverty guidelines. Net income is figured by adding all of a household’s gross income, and then taking a number of approved deductions for child care, extra shelter costs and other expenses. Households with an elderly or disabled member are subject only to the net income test.
--Most able-bodied adult applicants must meet certain work requirements.
--All household members must provide a Social Security number or apply for one.
Federal poverty guidelines are established by the Office of Management and Budget, and are updated annually by the Department of Health and Human Services.
3. What is being done to prevent retailer fraud and trafficking in the SNAP?
In a program as large as the SNAP, it may be inevitable that some people will try to cheat the system. USDA is committed to absolute integrity in all of its nutrition assistance programs, and has put special emphasis on the SNAP because of its size and importance. The Department has already taken a number of steps to make it easier to catch and punish people who misuse SNAP benefits. The welfare reform act of 1996 included several provisions, originally proposed by USDA, to more closely scrutinize food retailers who apply for SNAP authorization, and to more closely monitor retailers once they are participating in the program.
One of the most promising developments in the fight against SNAP fraud has been the increasing use of electronic benefit transfer -- EBT -- to issue SNAP benefits. EBT uses a plastic card similar to a bank card to transfer funds from a SNAP benefits account to a retailer’s account. With an EBT card, SNAP customers pay for groceries without any paper coupons changing hands. EBT eliminates paper SNAP and creates an electronic record for each transaction that makes fraud easier to detect.
Most States are now moving in the direction of using EBT as an alternative for SNAP issuance, and in some cases for other programs such as USDA’s Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, the Federal block-grant program operated by the Department of Health and Human Services. Twenty-three States are already using EBT in some form. Another 19 States and the District of Columbia are in various stages of planning for EBT. Several States have formed consortiums for joint EBT projects. The welfare reform act of 1996 requires all States to convert to EBT issuance by 2002.
4. How is each household’s SNAP allotment determined?
Households are issued a monthly allotment of SNAP based on the Thrifty Food Plan, a low-cost model diet plan. The TFP, in turn, is based on the National Academy of Sciences’ Recommended Dietary Allowances, and on food choices of low-income households.
An individual household’s SNAP allotment is equal to the maximum allotment for that household’s size, less 30 percent of the household’s net income. Households with no countable income receive the maximum allotment. Allotment levels are higher for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. These separate allotment levels reflect higher food prices in those areas.
5. On average, how much help does the SNAP Program provide?
In Hawaii, the average monthly benefit was more than $145.55 per person and more than FY 2007.
6. What foods are eligible for purchase with SNAP?
Households can use SNAP to buy any food or food product for human consumption, and seeds and plants for use in home gardens to produce food.
Households CANNOT use SNAP to buy:
--Alcoholic beverage and tobacco
--Lunch counter items or foods to be eaten in the store
--Vitamins or medicines
--Pet foods
--Any non-food items (except seeds and plants)
Restaurants can be authorized to accept SNAP from qualified homeless, elderly, or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals. SNAP cannot be exchanged for cash.
7. What prevents SNAP from being issued to people who don’t qualify?
As part of the commitment to program integrity, USDA has worked closely with the States to ensure that they issue their benefits correctly. State workers carefully evaluate each application to determine eligibility and the appropriate level of benefits. USDA monitors the accuracy of the eligibility and benefit determinations. States that fail to meet USDA’s standards for issuing their SNAP benefits correctly can be sanctioned by USDA, and those that exceed the standard can be eligible for additional funding support. People who receive SNAP benefits in error must repay any benefits for which they did not qualify.
8. When was the program begun?
The SNAP Program traces its earliest origins back to the Food Stamp Plan, which helped needy families in the Depression era. The modern program began as a pilot project in 1961 and was authorized as a permanent program in 1964. Expansion of the program occurred most dramatically after 1974, when Congress required all States to offer food stamps to low-income households. The Food Stamp Act of 1977 made significant changes in program regulations, tightening eligibility requirements and administration, and removing the requirement that Food Stamps be purchased by participants.
Program growth has continued since then, reaching an all-time high of almost 28 million in March of 1994 before declining to the current participation level of about 22 million. Participation generally peaks in periods of high unemployment, inflation and recession. Starting October 1, 2008, Hawaii's Food Stamp Program was officially named the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. This was in keeping with the new federal name for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program, required by the 2008 Farm Bill. Visit the following website for more information: www.fns.usda.gov
9. What are some characteristics of SNAP households at the national level?
Based on a study of data gathered nationally:
--Most food stamp recipients were children or elderly.
--Many food stamp recipients worked.
--The majority of food stamp households did not receive cash.
--Food stamp households had little income.
--The average food stamp household receive monthly benefit of $212.
--Food stamp households possessed few resources.
--Most food stamp household were small.
Additional information on the federal SNAP can be found on the USDA web site at: www.fns.usda.gov/fns/research.htm
10. Don’t some territories, such as Puerto Rico, use a different version of SNAP?
In Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianas Islands, and American Samoa, the Food Stamp Program was replaced by a block grant program. The territories now provide cash and coupons to participants rather than SNAP or food distribution. The grant can also be used for administrative expenses or special projects related to food production and distribution.
11. What is "cash-out"?
Cash-out refers to some demonstration projects under which SNAP participants receive their Federal food assistance benefits in cash (actually by check) rather than in SNAP coupons. USDA conducted several such projects to study the cash-out concept. Because the SNAP was designed as a nutrition assistance program, however, many people involved with the program were concerned that cash-out would not ensure that SNAP benefits will be used to buy food.
The Department of Agriculture supports the movement towards EBT systems. EBT maintains the direct link between SNAP benefits and food purchases, while reducing the cost and stigma associated with the paper coupon system.
12. How many people nationally get SNAP benefits, and what is the cost?
During FY 2007, the program served 26.5 million people, with a total Federal cost of $30 billion.
By comparison:
--In 1990, the program served 20.1 million people a month and cost $15.5 billion.
--In 1985, it served 19.9 million people and cost $11.7 billion.
--In 1980, it served 21.1 million people and cost $9.2 billion.
--In 1975, it served 17.1 million people and cost $4.6 billion.
--In 1970, it served 4.3 million people and cost $577 million.
--In the past, the program’s all-time high participation was 27.97 million people in March of 1994.
13. What are the Current Gross and Net Income Eligibility Standards in Hawaii?
The following chart lists the current gross and net income eligibility standards for the State of Hawaii, effective October 1, 2008.
Household Size | Gross Monthly Income (130% of poverty) | Net Monthly Income (100% of poverty) |
1 | 1296 | 997 |
2 | 1745 | 1342 |
3 | 2193 | 1687 |
4 | 2642 | 2032 |
5 | 3090 | 2377 |
6 | 3539 | 2722 |
7 | 3987 | 3067 |
8 | 4436 | 3412 |
Each additional member | + 449 | + 345 |
Household Size | Gross Monthly Income | Net Monthly Income |
1 | 1350 | 1039 |
2 | 1816 | 1397 |
3 | 2282 | 1755 |
4 | 2748 | 2114 |
5 | 3214 | 2472 |
6 | 3679 | 2830 |
7 | 4145 | 3189 |
8 | 4611 | 3547 |
9 | 5077 | 3906 |
10 | 5543 | 4265 |
Each additional member | +466 | +359 |
14. How many people are receiving SNAP in Hawaii?
In FY 2008 for the State of Hawaii, there were:
* Average of 47,545 households receiving SNAP
* 93,956 individuals receiving SNAP
* 14,642,373 total average monthly SNAP benefits were issued per month for FY 2008
15. What are the current maximum allotment levels for the State of Hawaii?
The current maximum allotment levels for the State of Hawaii, in effect from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009 are:
Household size | Allotment Level October 1, 2008 - September 30, 2009 | <Allotment Level effective October 1, 2009 |
1 | $276 | $314 |
2 | 506 | 575 |
3 | 725 | 824 |
4 | 921 | 1046 |
5 | 1094 | 1243 |
6 | 1313 | 1491 |
7 | 1451 | 1648 |
8 | 1658 | 1884 |
For each additional member | + 207 | + 236 |
For more information
Applicants should call 808-643-1643 in order to obtain information regarding where they should be submitting their application.
For more information about the SNAP or any of the Food and Consumer Service’s 15 nutrition assistance programs, contact the Food and Consumer Service Public Information Staff at 703-305-2286, or by mail 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia, 22302.
Locally, call direct statewide: 643-1643, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
USDA Raise a Healthy Family Brochure
Federal Links:
State Links:
1. Department of Health, Women Infants and Children (WIC)
http://www.hawaiiwic.com
2. Department of Labor & Industrial Relations, Office of Community Service, Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
http://www.hawaii.gov/labor/ocs
3. University of Hawaii - CTAHR/HNFAS Food Nutrition Education
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/NEW//
4. Office of Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs, Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs
http://ohcnp.k12.hi.us
5. Executive Office on Aging, Department of Health Nutrition Incentive Programs (NSIP)
http://ww2.hawaii.gov/eoa
6. USDA, Food & Nutrition Service Honolulu Field Office
http://www.fns.usda.gov
