What Can SNAP Buy? | Food and Nutrition Service (2024)

FAQs

What Can SNAP Buy? | Food and Nutrition Service? ›

The findings show that the No. 1 purchases by SNAP households are soft drinks, which accounted for 5 percent of the dollars they spent on food.

The findings show that the No. 1 purchases by SNAP households are soft drinks, which accounted for 5 percent of the dollars they spent on food.

SNAP actually stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It is a federal assistance program in the United States that provides eligible low-income individuals and families with funds to purchase food. It helps to ensure that all people have access to nutritious meals.

The Act states that SNAP recipients can purchase "any food or food product for home consumption," including seeds and plants which produce food for consumption by SNAP households. Research confirms that the food purchases of SNAP participants are similar to those of most Americans.

Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy: Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco. Any nonfood items, such as: pet foods, soaps, paper products, household supplies. Vitamins and medicines.

Maximum Monthly Benefit: In the fiscal year 2024, the maximum monthly SNAP benefit for a single-person household is $291. This amount is the upper limit and is designed to meet the nutritional needs as defined by the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan.

You also need to meet one of the following requirements: You have a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under 2,001 dollars. You have a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under 3,001 dollars and share your household with a person 60 or over or with a relative with a disability.

Here are the maximum benefits recipients will receive: One person: $281. Two people: $516. Three people: $740.

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to eligible, low-income individuals and households via a monthly benefit on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card, which can be used at authorized retailer stores to purchase food.

A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture analyzing food expenditures for both SNAP beneficiary households and non-SNAP households found that for every dollar spent on food purchases, both spent about 20 percent of that on sweetened drinks, desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar.

Download chart data in Excel format. 12.4 percent of U.S. residents (including those in the 50 States, Washington DC, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) received SNAP benefits nationwide in FY 2022. The share of residents receiving SNAP benefits in each State ranged as high as 24.5 percent to as low as 4.6 percent.

SNAP targets those in greatest need.

In fact, 86 percent of all SNAP benefits go to households that include a child, elderly person, or person with disabilities. In addition, about 92 percent of all SNAP benefits go to households with income at or below the federal poverty line.

Out of every dollar spent by SNAP families: Around 40 cents went to what the study classifies as “basic items” such as meat, fruits, vegetables, eggs, bread and milk. Around 20 cents went to salty snacks, sugar, candy and sweetened beverages, with 5 of these cents going to soft drinks.

A 2016 USDA study using point‐​of‐​sale data found that 23 percent of purchases by SNAP households were sugary drinks, desserts, salty snacks, candy, and sugar, which is generally called junk food. With SNAP purchases of more than $100 billion a year, that would mean more than $23 billion of junk food a year.

EBT will allow you to purchase any oil that is made for cooking. These include both spray and liquid oil containers.