Brochure

I am not a U.S. citizen. Can I get
food stamps? Can my children?
You may get food stamps if you are a legal
immigrant. Most legal immigrants must wait 5
years before getting food stamps. There is no
wait if you are 60 or older, disabled, or under
18. There is no wait for refugees or asylees or
for those with a military connection. Contact
your local office to find out if you qualify as a
legal immigrant.
If you yourself are not eligible due to
immigration status, your legal immigrant or
citizen children may still qualify. You do
not have to provide immigration information
about yourself when you apply for your legal
immigrant or citizen children.

How can my family eat better?
You want the best for your family. You want
everyone to stay well and for your kids to
grow and learn. Using food stamp benefits to
purchase healthy foods for your family can help
make this happen. Ask your food stamp worker
for information about eating and shopping for
healthy food and getting physical activity for
better health.

Where can I get more information?
Call your local food stamp office.
Call the national
food stamp information line:
1-800-221-5689
Visit: www.fns.usda.gov/fsp

Try these tips to help your family eat better and
stay healthy:
•

Vary your vegetables…dark green, orange,
peas and beans.

•

Focus on fruits. Choose fresh, frozen,
canned, or dried fruit.

If I get food stamps, will I be a public
charge?

•

Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereal,
breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day.

No. You and your family can apply for and
receive food stamps without hurting your
chances of becoming U.S. citizens.

•

Choose lean meats and milk products that
are lower in fat.

What happens if I have a sponsor?

•

Make physical activity a regular part of
your day.

There are special rules if you have a sponsor
who signed legal papers of support after
December 19, 1997. Your sponsor may have
to pay back food stamp benefits given to you.
Some of your sponsor’s income and resources
are counted as yours. This is called “deeming.”
It does not apply to children. There are other
people it does not apply to. Contact your local
food stamp office to find out more.

Attach contact label information here

1-800-221-5689
www.fns.usda.gov/fsp
.

Food StampsUnited
Make
America
Stronger..
States Department
of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Service

For more information on
healthy eating visit:
www.mypyramid.gov.

Food Stamps
Make
America Stronger.

FNS-313 States Department of Agriculture
United
September 2000
Food
and Nutrition Service
Revised June 2007
FNS-313

Revised September 2007

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

There are two income limits: gross income
and net income. Most households must meet
both income limits. If your household has a
person who is 60 or older or who is disabled,
you only need to meet the net income limit.
If everyone in your household receives SSI or
TANF, you do not need to meet any income
limit. A separate insert with two tables on it has
been included with this booklet. Look at the
income table to find out what the limits are for
food stamp benefits.

What is the Food Stamp Program?
The Food Stamp Program helps people with
little or no income buy nutritious food. Food
stamp benefits are not cash. They come on an
electronic EBT card that you use like a bank card
to buy food. Most grocery stores take food stamp
benefits.

Can I get food stamp benefits?
To get food stamp benefits, your income and
other resources have to be under certain limits.
Income
Your total income, before taxes or any other
subtractions, is called gross income. However,
certain subtractions to your gross income, called
deductions, are allowed. These can be for things
like housing costs, child support payments,
monthly medical expenses over $35 for elderly
or disabled people, or child-care costs. The
amount left over after these deductions is called
net income.

Resources
Your resources are things like bank accounts.
Most households may have up to $2,000 in
resources and still qualify. If your household
has a person who is 60 or older or disabled, you
may have up to $3,000 in resources.
The resources of people who receive TANF or
SSI do not count. Your home does not count.
In some States, at least one car does not count.
Talk to your local food stamp office for more
information.
To see if you might be able to get food stamps,
visit www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov. Answer
the questions. You will find out if you might be
eligible and how much you could receive. But
to know for sure, you must apply.

How do I apply for food stamp
benefits?
•

•

Call or go to the local food stamp office for
an application. Ask them to mail you the
application. Or get the application online at
www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/outreach/map.htm.
Fill out the application as much as you can.
Put your name and address on it and sign it.

•

•

•

Return the application to the local office
online, by mail or fax, or by taking it to the
local office.
Have an interview. You can also have a
friend or relative go with you or in your
place. Or you can do your interview over
the phone.
Show the local office papers like pay stubs,
rent or mortgage payments, utility bills,
child or elder care bills, and child support
court orders. The local office can tell you
exactly what papers and other information
you will need to show your income and
expenses.

After reviewing your application, the local office
worker will tell you if you will get food stamps
and how much.

How do I find my local office?
Call 1-800-221-5689 or visit www.fns.usda.gov/
fsp/outreach/map.htm. Or look in the phone
book in the government pages under “social
services” or “human services” for the phone
number.

Do I need a social security number?
Yes, you must get a social security number if you
want food stamp benefits. Not all people in the
household have to apply. People who do not want
food stamp benefits do not have to give a social
security number. But they do have to give their
financial information.

Can I get food stamp benefits if I am
not working?
Yes. But if you are able to work, you must look
for work, take a job, or go to training.

If I am eligible, how much can I get?
Look at the inserted table to see the most you can
get if you have no income. As your income goes
up, your food stamp benefits go down.

If I am approved, what can I expect?
You will get an electronic EBT card to use to buy
your groceries at the store.

If I am denied food stamps, can I ask
why?
Yes. Call or visit the food stamp office to ask
why. If you wish, you can ask to speak with the
food stamp worker’s boss. If you think there is a
mistake, ask for a “fair hearing.” This means that
a State person will meet with you and the food
stamp office to discuss your application. Fair
hearings are free but you must ask for one within
90 days of being turned down.

¿Están mis ingresos debajo del límite?

Is my income under the limit?

El folleto adjunto explica el ingreso neto y bruto.
Consulte el siguiente cuadro para ver cuáles son
los límites de ingresos brutos y netos para poder
recibir beneficios de cupones para alimentos. Si
su hogar incluye una persona de 60 años de edad
o mayor o una persona incapacitada, tendrá que
cumplir únicamente con el ingreso neto.

The enclosed brochure explains gross and net income.
Look at this table to find the gross and net income
limits for food stamp benefits. If your household has
a person who is 60 or older or disabled, only the net
income limit must be met.

Personas
Ingreso
en el Hogar Mensual Bruto*

Ingreso
Mensual Neto

People in
Household
1

Gross Monthly
Income*
$1107

Net Monthly
Income
$851

1

$1107

$851

2

$1484

$1141

2

$1484

$1141

3

$1861

$1431

3

$1861

$1431

4

$2238

$1721

4

$2238

$1721

5

$2615

$2011

5

$2615

$2011

6

$2992

$2301

6

$2992

$2301

7

$3369

$2591

7

$3369

$2591

8

$3746

$2881

8

$3746

$2881

*Larger households can have more income. Amounts are
higher in Alaska and Hawaii. People who receive Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) in California are not eligible.

*Los hogares más grandes pueden tener ingresos más
altos. Las cantidades son mayores en Alaska y Hawaii.
Recipientes de beneficios SSI en California no son elegibles
para el Programa de Cupones para Alimentos.

If I am eligible, what is the most I can get?

Si soy elegible, ¿cuánto es lo máximo
que puedo recibir?

Look at this table to see the most food stamp benefits
you can get if you have no income. As your income
goes up, your food stamp benefits go down.

Consulte el siguiente cuadro para ver lo máximo
que podría recibir en cupones para alimentos si
no tiene ingresos. Al aumentar sus ingresos, sus
beneficios de cupones para alimentos se reducen.

People in
Household

Maximum Monthly
Benefit*

1

$162

2

$298

3

$426

Personas en
el Hogar

Beneficio
Mensual Máximo*

1

$162

2

$298

4

$542

3

$426

5

$643

4

$542

6

$772

5

$643

7

$853

6

$772

8

$975

7

$853

8

$975

* Las cantidades son mayores en Alaska y Hawaii.
Recipientes de beneficios SSI en California no son elegibles.

* Amounts are higher in Alaska and Hawaii. People who
receive SSI in California are not eligible.

The numbers in the tables are good from
October 1, 2007, to September 30, 2008.

Where can I get more Information
About Food Stamps in my State?
¿Donde puedo encontrar mas información sobre el
Programa de Cupones para Alimentos en mi estado?
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Washington, DC
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Upstate
NYC
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
U.S. Virgin Islands
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

334-242-1700
907-465-3347
800-352-8401
800-482-8988
800-952-5253
800-536-5298
800-842-1508
800-372-2022 or 302-255-9500
202-724-5506
866-762-2237
800-869-1150
671-735-7245
808-643-1643
211 or 800-926-2588
800-843-6154
800-622-4932
877-937-3663
888-369-4777
800-931-9112
225-342-2541
800-452-4643
800-332-6347
866-950-3663
800-481-4989
800-657-3698
800-948-3050
www.dss.mo.gov/fsd/fstamp/index.htm
800-332-2272
800-430-3244
800-992-0900 x40500
800-852-3345 x4238
800-792-9773
888-473-3676
800-342-3009
877-472-8411
800-662-7030
800-755-2716
866-244-0071
405-521-3444
211 or 800-723-3638
800-692-7462 or 800-451-5886 (TDD)
800-981-5822
401-462-5300
800-768-5700
877-999-5612
866-311-4287
211
866-526-3663
800-287-0589
340-774-2399
800-552-3431
888-436-6392
800-642-8589
800-362-3002
800-457-3659

Food Stamps
Make America Stronger.

Please read the enclosed brochure first.
It will help you understand
this insert better.
The numbers in the tables are good from
October 1, 2007, to September 30, 2008.
To apply for food stamp benefits, get an application
and return it to your local food stamp office.
This insert is not an application.

Cupones para Alimentos:
Nuestra Salud, Nuestra Fuerza.

Por favor lea primero el folleto adjunto.
Le ayudará a entender mejor este anexo.
Las cifras presentadas en estos cuadros
son válidas a partir del 1 de octubre del 2007
hasta el 30 de septiembre del 2008.
Para solicitar los beneficios de cupones
para alimentos, obtenga una solicitud y regrésela
a su oficina local de cupones para alimentos.
Este anexo no es una solicitud.
United States Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Service
FNS-313-InsertR
September 2007

evised September 2007

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
USDA es an provedeer y empleador que ofrice oportunidad igual para todos.