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Eligibility and How to Apply

The Emergency Food Assistance Program is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of people with low income, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost.

Participant Eligibility Requirements

Households must meet state eligibility criteria. Each state sets criteria for determining what households are eligible to receive food for home consumption. Income standards may, at the state's discretion, be met through participation in other existing federal, state, or local food, health, or welfare programs for which eligibility is based on income. States can adjust the income criteria in order to ensure that assistance is provided only to those households most in need. However, recipients of prepared meals are considered to be needy and are not subject to a means test.

How to Apply

Contact your State Distributing Agency (SDA) for further assistance.

Page updated: June 21, 2023