Guide to Food Stamps for Seniors on Social Security

Christian Worstell
In this article...
  • Use this guide to food stamps for seniors on Social Security to learn more about eligibility requirements as well as how to apply for these useful benefits.

The food stamp program, officially referred to as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is specifically designed to help low-income individuals and families obtain the nutritional foods they need to remain healthy.

The program can provide food allowance for seniors on Social Security if they meet strict eligibility requirements. While the SNAP program is federally funded, its benefits are distributed through state agencies.

How Do Food Stamps Work?

Food stamps for seniors on social security can be used to purchase a variety of food options at grocery stores, farmer’s markets and other eligible locations. Some consumption items that cannot be purchased with food stamps include tobacco, alcohol, vitamins and hot foods, such as meals served at restaurants.

The amount of each monthly food stamps payment is based on household size and income, but the maximum monthly payment for the benefit period of October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023 is $281 for a one-person household and $516 for a two-person household.

Monthly benefits are transferred to the seniors' personal Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which works similarly to a bank debit card. This EBT card acts as a food allowance card for seniors.

Food Stamps for Seniors on Social Security

To be eligible for food stamps, seniors must live in the state where they are applying for benefits and meet specific financial eligibility guidelines.  

For the reporting period of October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, households with at least one member age 60 or over must have under $5,502 in gross monthly income (or more for households of more than 8 people). This includes the household's total, non-excluded income, before any deductions have been made.

Seniors must also meet net income limits of no more than $1,133 for a one-person household and $1,526 for a two-person household in 2023. Net income includes all earned and unearned wages, including Social Security, minus eligible deductions, including a portion of housing costs and any medical costs over $35 that are not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance.

Seniors who are interested in obtaining food stamps should start by contacting or visiting their local SNAP office. If necessary, another household member or an eligible representative may also contact their local SNAP office. Additionally, many states accept online applications for food stamps for seniors on Social Security.

Christian Worstell
About the Author

Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with HelpAdivsor.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.

Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.

While at HelpAdvisor, Christian has written hundreds of articles that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.

Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.

A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. You can find Christian’s most recent articles in our blog.

If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@MyHelpAdvisor.com.

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