The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a lifeline for millions in Texas and the rest of the United States. Using the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, called Lone Star Card in Texas, the families in need can buy eligible items that include fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, and seeds or plants to grow food. Non-food items like cleaning supplies, pet food, and personal care products cannot be purchased.
With new guidelines in Texas, that lowered requirements, new applicants could qualify for SNAP benefits, also called food stamps. The current SNAP policy in Texas was set in 2001, and left disqualified applicants whose primary vehicle was valued at $15,000 (or more), and had additional vehicles valued at $4,650 (or more). This could change soon, and you have got to know how it works now.
Now you could qualify for SNAP benefits in Texas: New guidelines loosen up the requirements
Over 54,000 applicants for Texas SNAP benefits were denied in 2022 based on the worth of their vehicles. However, starting in September, some of these families will be eligible if the value of their main vehicle is less than $22,500, and any additional vehicles are valued at less than $8,700.
Texas SNAP benefits maximum amounts and income limits in 2023.In order to qualify for this program, Texas residents must meet certain criteria. First, their total bank balance (including savings and checking accounts) should be less than $2,001. Alternatively, if your combined bank balance is below $3,001, and you share your household with one of the following individuals: an applicant aged 60 years or older, or a person with disability, which can include a child, spouse, parent, or yourself.
Household income limits in Texas and maximum SNAP benefits
Those families that look forward to applying and get approved for SNAP benefits must have an income (before taxes) below these amounts:
- 1 person: $18,954
- 2 people: $25,636
- 3 people: $32,318
- 4 people: $39,000
- 5 people: $45,682
- 6 people: $52,364
- 7 people: $59,046
- 8 people: $65,728
- For household over 8 people: add $6,682 per additional person
The maximum monthly SNAP benefits the household could get are as the following chart:
- 1 person: $281
- 2 people: $516
- 3 people: $740
- 4 people: $939
- 5 people: $1,116
- 6 people: $1,339
- 7 people: $1,480
- 8 people: $1,691
- For each additional person, add: $211
The Texas Human and Health Services has a specialized website for the Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP), where you can start taking a look at the requirements and begin your application now. The TSAP application is shorter than the regular process, and recipients are certified for three years rather than six months. If a person qualifies, they don’t have to do an interview when it’s time to renew.
This is how the Texas TSAP works: Easier SNAP benefits for elderly and people with disabilities
The Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP) it is the state platform in Texas to apply for SNAP benefits, specifically focused on households with older adults (over 60 years old) and members with disabilities. In the case of these family groups, TSAP applications are shorter and easier to complete, and benefits are certified for three years directly, instead of six months.
As an additional simpleness, eligible people who are applying to do not have to attend a physical interview, because it is understood that an elderly person or one with a disability may have problems traveling to an office.
All household members who are over the age of 60 or receive disability payments are eligible to receive SNAP benefits through the TSAP program, no matter how old they are in these last group. Those who do not have earned income also qualify, since their condition prevents them from engaging in lucrative jobs. If you are within these social groups, fill your application online in the YourTexasBenefits.com platform. If it’s easier for you, drop by and pick up a paper application, which you can return via mail, fax or in person; or, you can request a paper application to be emailed to you by calling 2-1-1 (select the language, and then choose option 2).
The food stamps program in Texas to deliver up to $1,691 in a matter of days
The amount of SNAP benefits received by eligible individuals depends on the size of their household. As per the Texas Health and Human Services Commission website, a single household is entitled to receive $281, while an eight-member household can receive up to $1,691 in their Lone Star Card (the local name for the EBT card in Texas). These funds are intended to help eligible individuals purchase essential food items.
While the payment window spans the first 10 business days of each month, the specific payment date varies based on the recipient’s Eligibility Determination Group number. The last digit of this number determines the payment date, allowing for a streamlined distribution process.
This is something really important to consider: Recipients aged 16 to 59 years old are subject to work rules while receiving SNAP benefits. According to these rules, individuals falling within this age range must be engaged in employment, actively seeking employment, or participating in an approved work program. These requirements aim to promote self-sufficiency and encourage recipients to actively pursue employment opportunities.
Get your food stamps on time in Texas
As part of the state of Texas’ plans to reduce food insecurity, payments to eligible SNAP recipients start rolling out in less than two weeks. It will be a one-time payment of $1,691 that will be added directly to EBT cardholders in Texas, which means that beneficiaries do not have to perform any additional procedures. The Texas government emphasized the need to directly address food insecurity in a statement, and it is hoped that it will be a relief for the most vulnerable communities affected.
To qualify, households must already be receiving SNAP benefits in Texas, and it will not be delivered outside these populations who are already enrolled in this system. Discover if you’re on the list, navigating the Texas Health and Human Services official website here. Remember that, with your Lone Star Card, you could buy fresh groceries like vegetables, fruits, meats, bread, and cereals, among some others. But, you’re not allowed to purchase tobacco products, alcoholic drinks, non-edible items or pay for food bills you owe. It’s also illegal to exchange the benefits for actual cash, because it’s intended to be used 100% in nutritious food products.
Learn about the TANF cash help: How to apply in Texas for this kind of food stamps
At its core, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), also known as TANF Cash Help program, aims to alleviate the burdens of poverty by providing monetary assistance to eligible families. The TANF program is different from the SNAP benefits, since it’s not only to buy food. It could also be used to purchase clothing, pay for housing, afford utility bills, furniture, transportation, and phone expenses. Other categories that could be paid with the TANF, are: Laundry, home supplies, medical supplies not paid for by Medicaid, and a pack of other basic need.
As the SNAP system, families with children aged 18 and under, qualify for the TANF Cash Help. To see if a family can get TANF, we must look at:
- The amount of money the family has.
- The value of things the family is paying for or owns.
- The amount the family pays for child care and child support.
The maximum monthly payments, depending on the household’s size, are as follow for child-only cases:
- 1 person: $64
- 2 people: $92
- 3 people: $130
- 4 people: $154
- 5 people: $198
For homes with 1 parent or 1 caretaker, or with 2 parents or 2 caretakers, respectively:
- 1 person: $78 / —-
- 2 people: $163 / $125
- 3 people: 188 / $206
- 4 people: $226 / $231
- 5 people: $251 / $268