What is SNAP?
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the federal food benefit for lower-income households. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it supplements the grocery budget so families can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being. The USDA sets the rules; your state agency decides whether you're eligible.
You'll still hear it called food stamps. North Carolina's program page, for one, keeps the old name in its web address.
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Where you’ll see the word
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An EBT card
If you're found eligible, USDA says the benefits go onto an Electronic Benefit Transfer card that works like a debit card at authorized food stores and retailers.
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A notice from your state agency
The letter saying whether you're eligible. USDA says it arrives within 30 days of your application in most cases, or within 7 days if you meet additional requirements.
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A recertification letter
In North Carolina, for example, the county social services office screens you for work-rule exemptions at your next recertification.
What SNAP means for you
Two income tests, and one for some households. USDA says that in most cases your household must meet both the gross and net income limits or it isn't eligible, and that a household with an elderly or disabled person only has to meet the net income limit. The posted limits cover Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2027. Most state agencies use what USDA calls broad-based categorical eligibility, which aligns their income and resource limits with their TANF-funded programs, so the figure that counts is your state's. You apply in the state where you live, and because each state has its own form and process, a member of your household contacts the state agency directly; USDA's state directory lists them.
Your housing costs are in the math. USDA's excess shelter deduction is for shelter costs that are more than half of the household's income after other deductions. The July 2025 law, Public Law 119-21, says any service fee for an internet connection can't be used in computing that deduction.
That law also changed the work rules and the eligibility of non-citizens, and USDA says it's still updating its eligibility page for the changes. Under the amended statute, the time limit for adults without dependents doesn't apply to, among others, a parent or other household member responsible for a dependent child under 14, or someone medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment. North Carolina applied the new work rules from December 1, 2025.
Questions about SNAP
Does owning a home disqualify me from SNAP?
No. USDA lists a home and lot among the resources that don't count toward the resource limit.
Do benefits start from the day I apply?
Yes, if you're found eligible. USDA says you receive benefits back to the date you submitted your application.
What is CalFresh?
California's name for SNAP. The state's Department of Social Services says CalFresh is federally mandated, state-supervised and county-operated; its information line is 877-847-3663. Since June 1, 2026, certain people must meet work and community engagement requirements to keep benefits. Those counted as adults without dependents who don't meet them and aren't excused can get only 3 full months every 3 years. The limit is waived in named counties for November 2026 through October 2027.
Our pages that use it
- SNAP statistics →Enrollment, benefits and food hardship in one place.
- SNAP enrollment →The monthly count behind the chart on this page, with its full history.
- Household food insecurity rate →The share of households that couldn't count on enough food.
- Didn't have enough to eat →The Federal Reserve's survey measure of food insufficiency.
Related terms
- Food InsecurityLimited or uncertain access to enough food for an active, healthy life.
- WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)A federal nutrition program for eligible women, infants, and young children.
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)A federal program that funds state cash assistance and support services for eligible families with children.
- LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)A federal program that helps eligible households with home energy costs.
Sources and method
The card and chart use the U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly count of persons participating in SNAP, parsed from the Food and Nutrition Administration's national data tables. The card, chart labels and headline round counts to whole millions; the top card shows the two-year monthly history, while the headline states the direction. Exact values are in the downloadable CSV. The latest two months are preliminary and the agency may revise them. Readings before October 2022 in the full series are fiscal-year averages, outside this chart's two-year window. The program rules come from USDA, Public Law 119-21 and the California and North Carolina agency pages listed above, opened on Oct 22, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration · Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), at fna.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration · SNAP Eligibility, at fna.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration · SNAP State Directory of Resources, at fna.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration · SNAP data tables, at fna.usda.gov
- U.S. Government Publishing Office · Public Law 119-21, at govinfo.gov
- California Department of Social Services · CalFresh work requirements, at cdss.ca.gov
- California Department of Social Services · CalFresh county offices, at cdss.ca.gov
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services · Work rules for adults without dependents, at ncdhhs.gov
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.