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(CNN Spanish) --
In order to successfully apply to the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the well-known food stamps, you must meet a series of requirements related to your income, resources and labor situation, among other areas, according to the Department of Agriculture of that country.
Here, a review of each of them.
Requirements to access SNAP coupons
Income
One of the requirements is to have gross and net income below certain limits, which vary according to the number of members in the family unit and which you can consult in the table below.
Remember that gross income is that before deductions and that the net income figure is what you have left after making the necessary deductions.
If there is a disabled person or an elderly person in the family unit, only the net income requirement must be met.
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To apply for the benefit, family units may have up to US$2,750 in countable resources.
The figure, which is updated annually, rises to US$4,250 if at least one member of the unit has a disability or is over 60 years of age.
Not all resources are considered to determine eligibility.
Houses or land, the resources of people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and most pension and retirement plans are not counted.
Vehicles are counted as resources, in ways established by the states.
Vehicles count as a resource for SNAP purposes.
States determine how vehicles can count toward household resources.
labor
To be eligible for SNAP coupons, you must also generally meet some job requirements.
You must register to work, not voluntarily quit a job or reduce hours, accept a job if offered, and, if mandated by the state, participate in training and employment programs.
"In addition, able-bodied adults with no dependents are required to work or participate in a work program for at least 20 hours a week to receive SNAP benefits for more than 3 months in a 36-month period," explains the USDA.
However, there are groups that may be exempt from these requirements, such as the elderly and pregnant women, among others that you can consult here.
Citizenship
Program eligibility does not include "undocumented non-citizens," according to the department.
However, non-citizens can enroll in the program if they have lived in the United States for at least five years, if you are receiving any type of disability-related assistance, or if they are under 18 years of age.
What if you are a student?
Those who study at an institution of higher education, such as college or technical schools, are ineligible for SNAP vouchers for more than half of their time, with some exceptions.
There are just over 10 cases in which they can apply, for example if they have a physical or mental disability, if they work at least 20 hours per week or if they take care of a child under six years of age.
You can check all the exceptions on this USDA page.
In order to apply for support, they must also meet the income requirement.
You can access more detailed information about the benefits in Spanish by entering here.
In this link, on the other hand, you will find the contact information of the local SNAP offices, where you must submit your application if you are interested in receiving the benefit.
SNAP
