FNS Documents & Resources

By law, certain adults without dependents can only receive SNAP benefits beyond three months in a three-year period unless they meet specific work requirements. We refer to this as the “time limit.”

Here's how the WIC food packages are changing.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children – also known as WIC – supports maternal and child health by providing nutritious supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to important health care and other social services.

Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 are eligible. They must meet income guidelines, a state residency requirement, and be individually determined to be at "nutritional risk" by a health professional.

Beginning in March 2020, USDA approved states to provide SNAP households with extra pandemic-related SNAP benefits known as emergency allotments (EA). Since then, a variety of state and federal changes have impacted SNAP benefit amounts as shown in this timeline graphic.

FNS strongly recommends that all states develop a SNAP outreach plan. In addition to increasing enrollment among eligible non-participating households, SNAP outreach can help reduce churn by encouraging existing SNAP households to recertify. 

This checklist is intended to help new Farm to School grantees complete the "new grantee enrollment process." Grantees must complete all the necessary steps of the enrollment process prior in order to begin receiving grant funding.

The FNS Handbook 501 provides ITOs and state agencies guidance on the administration of FDPIR. The chapters within the handbook cover all aspects of the program including financial management, certification of households, food ordering, and inventory control.

In response to the pandemic, Congress temporarily increased SNAP benefits in two ways: raising all benefits by 15% and boosting every household to the maximum benefit for their household size. In April 2021,

Congress directed USDA to re-evaluate the Thrifty Food Plan based on “current food prices, food composition data, consumption patterns, and dietary guidance.”  The 2021 TFP reflects the latest available data and is designed to meet the needs of low-income Americans in a cost-conscious way.