FNS Documents & Resources

SNAP helps low-income people buy the food they need for good health. SNAP benefits are not cash. SNAP benefits are provided on an electronic card that is used like an ATM or bank card to buy food at most grocery stores. To get SNAP benefits, your income and other resources have to be under certain limits.

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.

Learn about the Exhibit A Grains Tool, a feature included with the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-Based Tool.

Letters to various directors of Human Services with attached public charge fact sheet.

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.

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.

This memorandum provides the FY 2020 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to the SNAP maximum allotments, income eligibility standards and deductions. COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2019.

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.

Learn about FBG Calculator, the new feature included with the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs Interactive Web-Based Tool. The FBG Calculator is designed to create a shopping list to assist child nutrition program operators when ordering food for their programs. In this webinar, Team Nutrition also provided in-depth practice for using the calculator as well as highlighting the newly released training video. Participants can also experience the FBG Calculator on the FBG Mobile App. Program operators will be able to create and use their shopping list on-the-go.

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