FNS Documents & Resources

This memorandum provides information on the exclusion as income of rebates under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 in FDPIR, TEFAP, and CSFP.

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, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

On Dec. 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021. This Act excludes federal pandemic unemployment compensation payments authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act from consideration as income for the purposes of determining FDPIR eligibility. 

In accordance with FDPIR regulations at 7 CFR 253.6(b), Native Hawaiian households that move to the mainland and live in an approved service area near the reservation, or in Oklahoma, must contain at least one household member who is recognized as a member of an Indian tribe to be eligible to participate in FDPIR. 

Many employers provide flexible benefit packages that give employees choice and control over employer-provided benefits. These flexible benefit packages are also referred to as “cafeteria plans,” because employees choose among two or more benefits.

Military reservists who are called to active duty may be absent from the home for an extended period of time. A reservist who is not living at home, but is residing elsewhere with his/her military unit, would not be considered a part of his/her household for FDPIR purposes. 

Effective July 1, 2004, school officials verifying income eligibility for free and reduced price meals must allow households to provide documentation of income for any point in time between the month prior to application and the time the household is required to provide income documentation.

This memorandum supplements our Reauthorization Implementation Memo SP 4 by providing additional information on identifying migrant children and on the procedures that school food authorities and local education agencies should use to coordinate with the Migrant Education Program in order to document the categorical eligibility of migrant children for free meals.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 specifies that households’ eligibility for free and reduced price meals shall remain in effect beginning on the date of eligibility for the current school year and ending on a date during the subsequent school year, as determined by the Secretary.

In accordance with the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, the housing allowance for military personnel living in privatized housing will be permanently excluded from income when determining household eligibility for free and reduced price meals or free milk in all of the child nutrition programs.