Nutrition Assistance Programs

Nutrition Assistance

Programs

SSA.gov

Federal, state, and local governments

provide many programs designed to help

meet the nutritional needs of people with

low incomes and their families.

Although Social Security does not manage

any of the nutrition assistance programs

discussed in this publication, we provide

general information and refer you to the

agencies that do.

Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps,

helps low-income people buy the food

needed for good health. SNAP benets

are provided on an electronic card, which

operates like a debit card, to buy food at

most grocery stores.

To get SNAP benets, your household

must meet certain conditions and

requirements. Your household includes

everyone who lives with you, and who

buys and prepares food together. You

can still get SNAP even if you do not

have a permanent address or place

to stay. For detailed information about

SNAP eligibility requirements, you

should also read Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP) Facts

(Publication No. 05-10101).

How to apply for SNAP

Applications for SNAP benets are

available at any Social Security ofce.

If you and everyone in your household

are applying for or already getting

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

payments, any Social Security ofce

will help you ll out the application

and send it to the local SNAP ofce for

you. All other applicants, including those

applying for or getting only Social Security

benets must take or send their SNAP

application to the local SNAP ofce. To

nd your local SNAP ofce or to apply

online (in some states), visit www.fns.

usda.gov/snap/state-directory. You can

also call the SNAP information line toll-

free at 1-800-221-5689.

SNAP is just one of many nutrition

programs available. The federal

government and many state and local

government agencies sponsor numerous

programs that provide people with

information about, and access to, a more

nutritious diet. Many of these programs

also are set up to improve the health

and eating habits of children, and people

age 60 or older with low income. Two

examples are the Special Supplemental

Nutrition Assistance Program for Women,

Infants, and Children (WIC) and the

Commodity Supplemental Food Program

(CSFP).

Special Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program for Women,

Infants, and Children (WIC)

The WIC program provides federal grants

to states for supplemental foods, health

care referrals, and nutrition education to

low income pregnant, breastfeeding, or

non-breastfeeding postpartum women.

These services also benet infants and

children up to age 5 who are found to be

at nutritional risk. WIC is administered at

the federal level by the Food and Nutrition

Service (FNS) of the United States

Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding

women, and infants and children up to

age 5, who meet certain requirements

are eligible. These requirements include

income eligibility and state residency.

In addition, the applicant must be

determined to be at “nutrition risk” by a

health professional or a trained health

ofcial. In addition to the benets and

services provided through WIC, the

WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

provides eligible WIC participants with

coupons to purchase food. This includes

nutritious, unprepared, locally grown

fruits, vegetables, and herbs at farmers’

markets and roadside stands. For more

information, contact your state or local

health department or visit www.fns.usda.

gov/wic/women-infants-and-children-

wic.

Commodity Supplemental Food

Program (CSFP)

The CSFP works to improve the health

of low-income elderly persons at least

60 years of age by supplementing their

diets with nutritious USDA foods. CSFP

is administered at the federal level by

FNS, an agency of the USDA. Through

CSFP, USDA distributes both food and

administrative funds to participating states

and Indian Tribal Organizations. State

agencies provide USDA foods to public

and nonprot private local agencies.

Local agencies determine the eligibility of

applicants, distribute the foods, and offer

nutrition education. For more information

about this program, visit www.fns.usda.

gov/csfp/commodity-supplemental-

food-program-csfp.

Senior Nutrition Program by the

Administration for Community

Living (ACL)

The Senior Nutrition Program provides

nutritious meals to adults age 60 and

older. These services include healthy

meals served in group settings, such as

senior centers and faith-based locations

or home delivered. In addition, the

programs provide a range of services

including nutrition screening, assessment,

education, and counseling. Nutrition

services also provide an important link to

other supportive in-home and community-

based supports such as transportation

and home-health aide services. The ACL

is administered at the federal level by the

U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services. For more information about this

program visit https://acl.gov/programs/

health-wellness/nutrition-services.

(over)

Other nutrition programs

available

The USDA administers other food

programs:

• Child and Adult Care Food Program

(CACFP)

CACFP provides reimbursements for

nutritious meals and snacks served

to eligible children and adults who

are enrolled for care at participating

child care centers, day care homes,

and adult day care centers. CACFP

also provides reimbursements for

meals served to children and youth

participating in afterschool care

programs and children residing in

emergency shelters. Adults over the

age of 60 or living with a disability and

enrolled in day care facilities may also

be eligible.

• National School Lunch Program

(NSLP) and School Breakfast

Program (SBP)

NSLP and SBP reimburse participating

public and nonprot private schools for

offering nutritionally balanced, low-cost

or free meals to children each school

day. Households may apply for children

to receive school meals free or at a

reduced price.

• Summer Food Service Program

(SFSP)

SFSP provides free meals and snacks

to low-income children ages 18 and

under when school is not in session.

• Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition

Program (SFMNP)

SFMNP awards grants to states, U.S.

territories, and federally recognized

Indian tribal governments to provide

low-income seniors aged 60 years

and older with coupons that can be

exchanged for food. This includes fresh,

nutritious, unprepared, locally grown

fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs

at farmers’ markets, roadside stands,

and community-supported agriculture

programs.

• The Emergency Food Assistance

Program (TEFAP)

TEFAP is a federal program that helps

supplement the diets of low-income

Americans, including elderly people,

by providing emergency food and

nutrition assistance at no cost. Through

TEFAP, USDA purchases a variety of

nutritious, high-quality USDA Foods,

and makes those foods available to

state distributing agencies. States

provide the food to local agencies that

they have selected, usually food banks,

which in turn distribute the food to local

organizations, such as soup kitchens,

food pantries, and community action

agencies.

For more information about these nutrition

programs administered by USDA, contact

your local social services, health or

agriculture department, state aging ofce,

Indian tribal organization ofces, school,

or visit www.fns.usda.gov/contacts/

contact-map.

Contacting Us

The most convenient way to do business

with us is to visit www.ssa.gov to get

information and use our online services.

There are several things you can do

online: apply for benets; start or complete

your request for an original or replacement

Social Security card; get useful

information; nd publications; and get

answers to frequently asked questions.

When you open a personal

my Social Security account, you have

more capabilities. You can review

your Social Security Statement, verify

your earnings, and get estimates of

future benets. You can also print a

benet verication letter, change your

direct deposit information, request a

replacement Medicare card, and get a

replacement SSA-1099/1042S. Access to

your personal my Social Security account

may be limited for users outside the

United States.

If you don’t have access to the internet,

we offer many automated services by

telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,

so you may not need to speak with a

representative.

If you need to speak with someone, call

us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or at our

TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re

deaf or hard of hearing. A member of our

staff can answer your call from 8 a.m. to 7

p.m., Monday through Friday. We provide

free interpreter services upon request.

For quicker access to a representative,

try calling early in the day (between 8

a.m. and 10 a.m. local time) or later in the

day. We are less busy later in the week

(Wednesday to Friday) and later in the

month.

SNAP

Getting or applying only for

Social Security?

You can get a SNAP application and

information about SNAP and other

nutrition assistance programs at any

Social Security ofce.

You must either ll out the application and

submit it to the SNAP ofce or go to the

SNAP ofce to apply.

Getting or applying for

Supplemental Security Income

(SSI)?

You can apply for SNAP benets at any

Social Security ofce if you and everyone

in your household get or apply for SSI.

We will help you ll out the SNAP

application. You do not have to go to the

SNAP ofce to apply.

Social Security Administration

Publication No. 05-10100

November 2022 (Recycle prior editions)

Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense