How To Apply For Food Stamps In Louisiana

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded program that offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families. The program is run by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). If you live in this state and need to apply for a Louisiana Purchase Card, then the information below shows you how to apply for food stamps in Louisiana. If you have additional questions or concerns about the Louisiana SNAP program or the EBT application process, please contact the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services for assistance.

In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of Louisiana 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). In order to qualify, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:

*For households with more than eight people, add $5,408 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.

Application Process
There are two ways you can apply for this program:

• Visit any DCFS office and apply in person. Download and fill out an application.
• Louisiana Combined Application Project (LaCAP) is a food assistance program for Louisiana residents who are at least 60 years of age and receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). It is a simplified version of SNAP. To find out if you qualify, please call 1-888-LAHELPU (1-888-524-3578).

Qualifying for Regular SNAP
To get benefits through regular SNAP, households must meet certain tests, including resource and income tests.

Resources
Individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or households including anyone who receives Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP), or Strategies to Empower People (STEP) Program benefits are exempt from the resource limit. Households not exempt from the resource limit may have up to $2250 in resources, such as a bank account. Non-exempt households that include at least one household member who is age 60 or older or includes a disabled member may have up to $3250 in resources. Households are not exempt from the resource limit if:

• Any member is disqualified for Intentional Program Violation
• Any member of the household is ineligible because of a drug-related felony, or
• The household is disqualified for failing to comply with work registration requirements

The following individuals are not exempt from the resource limit:

• An ineligible alien
• An ineligible student
• An individual who is disqualified for failure to comply with work registration requirements
• An individual who is disqualified for failure to provide or apply for a SSN and
• An individual who is on strike

Income
Households must meet income tests (unless any member is receiving FITAP, KCSP, STEP benefits, or all members are receiving SSI). Most households must meet both the gross and net income tests, but a household with a person who is 60 years old or older or a person who is receiving certain types of disability payments only has to meet the net income test. Gross income means a household's total, non-excluded income, before any deductions have been made. Net income means gross income minus allowable deductions. Households, except those noted, that have income over the amounts listed below cannot get SNAP benefits.

Allotment Amounts
The amount of SNAP a household receives depends on the number of people in the SNAP household and the amount of their net income. The table below shows the maximum SNAP allotments by household size.

Other eligibility requirements:

Identity - Individuals must show proof they are the person they claim to be. Applicants must provide proof of their identity.

Residence - the client must be living in Louisiana.

Citizenship - household members can include either US citizens and/or certain aliens with verifiable USCIS documentation.

Enumeration - households must provide or apply for Social Security numbers for each member before certification.

Work Registration - all able-bodied adults, with specific exceptions, must register for work and accept suitable employment.

See if you may be eligible: Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool (English and Spanish)
(By clicking here you are NOT completing an application for SNAP benefits; instead, you are completing a pre-screening tool that can be used to help determine if you may be eligible to receive SNAP benefits. Application for SNAP benefits must be made at your local DCFS office).

Applying for Louisiana SNAP Benefits

Step One:

• Fill out an Application online
• You can also apply for the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) or Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) with this application.
• You can also download an application and fill it out by hand.

Step Two:
Gather the documents you will need to verify the information in your application. What must be verified and examples of proof.

Step Three (for downloaded applications filled out by hand only):
Mail the completed form to the Document Processing Center:

DCFS Economic Stability
P.O. Box 260031
Baton Rouge, LA 70826
Or fax the completed form to: (225) 663-3164

Step Four:
After receiving your application, a DCFS employee will call you to conduct an interview over the phone, saving you time. Please provide a valid telephone number for contact purposes, or If a face-to-face interview is requested, you may schedule an appointment with any DCFS parish office.

*Households composed entirely of people who are applying for or receiving SSI may apply for SNAP benefits through regular SNAP at the Social Security Administration office unless they already have a SNAP application pending.

Regular SNAP Benefits Amounts
Benefit amounts are based on the Thrifty Food Plan amounts established by the USDA-Food and Nutrition Service. The Thrifty Food Plan is a current estimate of the actual costs for providing a household with nutritious but inexpensive meals. Further, benefits depend on both the number of persons in the household and the net monthly income amount remaining after all allowable deductions have been subtracted. Income deductions allowed in the regular SNAP budget are subtracted from both earned and unearned income. The deductions are:

• Earned Income Deduction - 20% of gross earnings
• Standard Deduction - $155 for 1 to 3 household members;$168 for 4 household members; $197 for 5 household members and $226 for 6 or more household members.
• Medical Deduction - allowable medical expenses incurred by elderly or disabled household members in excess of $35 per household.
• Dependent Care Deduction - payments for the care of a child or other dependent which are necessary for a household member to work, look for work or attend school or training.
• Child Support Deduction - allowable for payments of legally obligated child support.
• Shelter Deduction - allowable shelter costs (rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance on the structure and utility expenses) in excess of 50% of household income remaining after all other deductions. For households with an elderly or disabled member, there is no limit on the shelter deduction; for all other households the shelter deduction cannot exceed $504.