The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has different dates and amounts in the state of Texas. SNAP is a system of assistance to low-income families that consists of a monthly stipend from the state for the purchase of food. The payment is made on a debit card, which in the case of Texas is the Lone Star Card. This program is federally supervised by the United States Department of Agriculture, although in Texas its implementation is handled by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).
Who is SNAP for?
SNAP is for everyone: families, seniors, people with disabilities, unemployed or employed individuals, and former or active military personnel. Most people ages 16 to 59 must follow work rules to qualify for SNAP benefits. Work rules mean that a person must be looking for work or be in an approved work program. This is explained on the official Feeding Texas website.
The monthly benefit depends on each family’s income, membership, and circumstances. For one person, it’s $250; for two people, $459; for three people, $658; for four people, $835; for five people, $992; for six people, $1,190; for seven people, $1,316; for eight people, $1,504; and for each additional family member, $188 is added.
Greg Abbott: “States can take steps to eliminate the opportunity to buy junk food”
“SNAP was created to increase access to nutritious food; however, many SNAP purchases are for food with little to no nutritious value”. In a letter issued by Governor Abbott to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the governor said: “Under the Trump administration, for the first time since the program was authorized, states can take steps to eliminate the opportunity to buy junk food with SNAP benefits and assure that taxpayer dollars are used only to purchase healthy, nutritious food. I look forward to the opportunities this approach will bring to improve the health and quality of life for low-income Texans.”
Eligibility requirements for this type of assistance:
People who don’t have much money and meet the program’s rules.
Most adults ages 18 to 49 without children in their household can get SNAP for only three months out of a three-year period.
SNAP is very important because it gives a final boost to families who are barely making ends meet. Furthermore, the assistance is financial, but it can only be used to buy food, that is, to cover a basic need. The card can only be used at establishments that sell food; it is not accepted at other businesses.
The benefit period may be longer if the person works at least 20 hours a week or is in a work or training program. Some adults may not have to work to get benefits, such as those with disabilities or pregnant women.
Households in which all members are older adults (age 60 and older) or people with disabilities are eligible to participate in the Texas Streamlined Application Project (TSAP), which streamlines the SNAP application process and provides three years of benefits at a time, instead of six months.
Payment schedule in Texas
Regarding the payment schedule, in Texas it will depend on the last digit of the beneficiary’s house number. That is: If the number ends in 1, the payment will have been made on July 3; if it ends in 2, it will be on July 5; if it ends in 3, it will be on July 6; if it ends in 4, it will be on July 7; if it ends in 5, it will be on July 9, and so on.
This is important to note because unlike other states where payments are concentrated in the first few days of the month, Texas extends its distribution schedule until the middle of the month, allowing for a more organized and balanced distribution.
