FNS Documents & Resources

This policy memorandum transmits the 2019-2020 Income Eligibility Guidelines for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) that were published in the Federal Register on April 26, 2019.

This policy memorandum transmits the 2019-2020 Income Eligibility Guidelines for the Senior Farmers’ Market National Program.

FNS is issuing this memorandum to alert all SNAP state agencies.of the available state options and requirements related to child support cooperation, as a condition of eligibility for SNAP.

The USDA announces adjusted income eligibility guidelines to be used by State agencies in determining the income eligibility of persons applying to participate in WIC. These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

This memorandum clarifies the use of third party payroll sources for SNAP certification policy and quality control purposes. The first two sections of this memorandum apply to certification policy and the section titled Quality Control Considerations provides details on how to treat verification from a third party payroll source for QC reviews.

Federal law requires state agencies to verify a SNAP applicant's identity and other critical information prior to certifying the household to participate in SNAP. In general, SNAP state agencies verify identity based on documentary evidence, such as a driver's license, obtained through the applicant or a third party.

USDA proposes updating the regulations to refine categorical eligibility requirements based on receipt of TANF benefits. Specifically, the Department proposes: (1) to define “benefits” for categorical eligibility to mean ongoing and substantial benefits; and (2) to limit the types of non-cash TANF benefits conferring categorical eligibility to those that focus on subsidized employment, work supports and childcare. The proposed rule would also require state agencies to inform FNS of all non-cash TANF benefits that confer categorical eligibility.

In July 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published a proposed rule entitled “Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)." This action closes a loophole that allows states to make participants in certain programs “categorically eligible” to participate in SNAP.