How to apply for SNAP: monthly grocery money on an EBT card

Many SNAP applications stall before a decision

SNAP is the program many people still call food stamps. It helps households with low income buy groceries. If a household is found eligible, money for food is loaded onto an EBT card each month. The card works like a debit card with a PIN at stores that accept SNAP. It pays for fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy, bread, cereal and other food for the home. It cannot pay for alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, hot foods or items like pet food and soap.

Each state runs SNAP under the same basic rules, so the first steps look alike in most places. Still, many applications stall for simple reasons. A paper is missing. A phone interview is missed. Or the person applies in the wrong state. None of these are hard to fix once you know about them. The next page shows what to prepare before you start.

Questions most people have before they apply

• Why does the agency look at income after deductions?Open →
• How do the interview and the decision work?Open →
• Where do you apply? Only in your own stateOnly with the SNAP agency in the state where you live. Each state has its own form, and only that agency can decide.Open →

How the SNAP process works from start to finish

The road to SNAP starts with your state agency. You can reach it at a local SNAP office, on the state agency website or through the state's toll-free SNAP line. Some states take applications online. Depending on the state, you can also apply in person, by mail or by fax. You have the right to turn in an application on the same day you contact the office, even if the form only has your name, address and signature.

After you apply, the agency sets up an eligibility interview, most often by phone or in person. You give proof of what you wrote on the form. In most cases the agency sends a notice within 30 days that says whether the household is eligible. If it is, benefits count back to the day you applied. Some households with very little income or cash can get help within 7 days. The next page explains how to apply step by step and which papers to have ready.