What You Need to Know About Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs
Published 7:30 am Sunday, November 27, 2022
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Food and nutrition assistance programs help millions of Americans every year. However, finding benefits can be difficult to navigate alone. That is why Benefits.gov is here to help with your search! Here is some helpful information on programs you may be eligible for:
Get Food Assistance With SNAP
If you need help feeding your family healthy food, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) might be a good option for you. SNAP approved food items include fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, bread, and more.
SNAP is federally funded and managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. To get SNAP benefits, you must apply in the state where you currently live and meet income requirements. To apply, contact your state’s SNAP agency. Some states have online applications that may make it easier to apply.
Learn More About the WIC Program
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is another food and nutrition program that could help you. WIC provides nutritious foods and information on healthy eating to pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women and children up to age five. Single fathers and guardians are eligible to apply for children.
WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, referrals, and access to health and social services. To find out if you may be eligible for WIC benefits, complete the WIC Prescreening Tool.
A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF, automatically meets the income eligibility requirements.
If your household is eligible for SNAP and WIC, you can receive benefits from both programs at the same time. WIC is federally funded and managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.
Try Using the Food & Nutrition Category
For information on more programs, check out the Food and Nutrition category on Benefits.gov, which allows you to look through over 270 benefits. You can filter your search by state or subcategory depending on your needs. This is a great way to find other government benefits. However, you may not be eligible for these unless you meet the specified criteria listed on the program’s page.
Use the Benefit Finder to Get Personalized Results
To find benefits just for you, take our Benefit Finder questionnaire. It can take between 10 to 30 minutes to finish, and all your answers are confidential. Once you have completed the questionnaire, it will show you benefits you may be eligible for and where you can apply.