FNS Documents & Resources

By law, certain adults without dependents can only receive SNAP benefits beyond three months in a three-year period unless they meet specific work requirements. We refer to this as the “time limit.”

FNS is committed to increasing access to SNAP, one of the most powerful tools available to ensure low-income people have access to healthy food. Program informational activities, or SNAP outreach activities, are a critical tool to ensure vulnerable populations are aware of the availability, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and benefits of SNAP.

Congress passed a law in late 2022 to help SNAP participants who are victims of card skimming, cloning and other similar methods. To implement this new law, states are working quickly to develop and implement processes to help people whose SNAP benefits were stolen seek and obtain relief. FNS will list plans on this page as they are approved

FNS is working closely with our state and federal partners, SNAP retailers, EBT processors, and other industry experts to protect SNAP benefits and combat SNAP fraud.

U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service and U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration partner to support able-bodied adults without dependents through the public workforce system as the Public Health Emergency ends.

Beginning in March 2020, USDA approved states to provide SNAP households with extra pandemic-related SNAP benefits known as emergency allotments (EA). Since then, a variety of state and federal changes have impacted SNAP benefit amounts as shown in this timeline graphic.

FNS strongly recommends that all states develop a SNAP outreach plan. In addition to increasing enrollment among eligible non-participating households, SNAP outreach can help reduce churn by encouraging existing SNAP households to recertify. 

SNAP healthy incentive programs encourage healthy eating by making nutritious food more accessible and affordable through coupons, discounts, gift cards, bonus items, or extra funds.

This information s for market managers to help them attract SNAP customers to their markets.

On Dec. 29, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Division HH, Title IV, Section 503(b), of the Act ends SNAP EA that were provided by Section 2302(a)(1) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The law terminates EA after the issuance of February 2023 benefits. Therefore, the last benefit month that may include EA is February 2023.