Benefits.gov - Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

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Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

Managing Agency Texas http://www.state.tx.us

Program Description

Many Texans have trouble making ends meet each month. After paying for rent, utilities, transportation, and child care, there's often little left over to buy nutritious food. But it doesn't have to be that way. Each month, hundreds of thousands of families across the state turn to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to receive help in the form of SNAP benefits to help feed their families. Read on to learn how you can receive help if you qualify.

SNAP is a Federally funded program that helps low-income families buy nutritious food from local food stores. SNAP assistance is available to qualifying families, elderly people, and single adults. Applicants must reside in Texas, and must apply in the county in which they reside.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) establishes all eligibility and certification policies. Your eligibility for benefits will depend on your situation on the following criteria:

Residence
Citizenship
Employment Services
Work Requirement (for individuals age 18-50)
Resources
Income
Social Security Numbers

While Benefits.gov has the ability to pre-screen your eligibility at a high-level, you must work with your local county Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) office to confirm your eligibility. To do this, you will need to apply for benefits and participate in an in person/by phone interview.

General Program Requirements

In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of Texas and fall into one of two groups: (1) those with a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under $2,001, or (2) those with a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under $3,001 who share their household with a person or persons age 60 and over, or with a person with a disability (a child, your spouse, a parent, or yourself). For either group, you must also have an annual household income of less than $14,079 if one person lives in the household; $18,941 if two people live in the household; $23,803 if three people live in the household; $28,665 if four people live in the household; $33,527 if five people live in the household; $38,389 if six people live in the household; $43,251 if seven people live in the household; or $48,113 if eight people live in the household. For larger households, add $4,862 for each additional person in the home.

Your Next Steps

The following information will lead you to the next steps to apply for this benefit.

Application Process

Contact your local SNAP administering agency to apply for this program:
https://www.yourtexasbenefits.com/ssp/SSPHome/ssphome.jsp

Program Contact Information

For further information about the Texas Food Stamp program, read our Frequently Asked Questions page on our website at: http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/providers/LoneStar/EBT/EBThowto.html

More detailed information about eligibility requirements may be found on our website at: http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/help/Food/snap.shtml