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Resource | Policy Standard Utility Allowances

States annually update Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs) to reflect changes in utility costs. When determining a household’s eligibility, states consider a household’s total shelter costs, including the cost of utilities. Since actual utility costs are often hard to determine, states can use SUAs, which are standard amounts that represent low-income household utility costs in the state or local area. SUAs may be used in lieu of the household's actual costs when determining eligibility and benefit amount.

10/01/2023
Resource | Policy Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Information

We adjust SNAP maximum allotments, deductions, and income eligibility standards at the beginning of each federal fiscal year. 

10/01/2023
Resource | Policy Memos SNAP FY 2024 Cost-of-Living Adjustments

This memorandum provides the FY 2024 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to the SNAP maximum allotments, income eligibility standards, and deductions. Under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2023.

08/03/2023
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2021-0073 FD-40: Inventory Draw Down in USDA Foods Processing (Revised)

This memorandum provides clarification on the value pass through methods available under 7 CFR 250.36 and on the timing of processor inventory reductions of USDA Foods under each system.

FD-40: Processing
07/16/2021
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2019-0029 Management of Donated Food Inventories at Processors

This memorandum addresses inventory limitations and requirements that USDA Foods processors must follow when manufacturing processed end products for use in child nutrition programs.

FD-064
04/02/2019
Resource | Notices Child Nutrition Programs Income Eligibility Guidelines (2019-2020)

This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.

03/20/2019
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2019-0022 Questions and Answers: FY 2019 Homeless Shelter Deduction Memo

The attached questions and answers provide policy clarifications to address state agency concerns regarding the Food and Nutrition Service's Feb. 8, 2019, Information Memorandum which discussed Section 4004 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.

03/12/2019
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2019-0013 USDA Foods Processing Program: Cancellation of Policy Memoranda

In order to update and streamline policy guidance for the USDA Foods Processing Program, FNS is cancelling policy memoranda FD-009, FD-025, FD-130, FD-102, FD-030, FD-038, FD-048, FD-103, and FD-108. The guidance provided by these memoranda is outdated and has been superseded by the Final Rule: Revisions and Clarifications in Requirements for the Processing of Donated Foods, which was published on May 1, 2018.

FD-145
02/27/2019
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2018-0036 SNAP – FY 2019 Cost of Living Adjustments

This memorandum provides the fiscal year 2019 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to the SNAP maximum allotments, income eligibility standards, and deductions. Under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2018.

10/01/2018
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2018-0030 SNAP – FY 2019 Cost of Living Adjustments

This memorandum provides the fiscal year 2019 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to the SNAP maximum allotments, income eligibility standards, and deductions. Under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2018.

07/27/2018
Page updated: October 14, 2021