In Louisiana, SNAP benefits are administered by the Department of Children and Family Services, which provides food-purchasing assistance for low-income households. Benefits are deposited monthly into SNAP accounts, which are linked to Louisiana Purchase Cards.

                By                    Josephine Nesbit

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Louisiana Purchase Cards are accepted at any SNAP-approved grocery store or retailer to buy eligible food. At checkout, swipe your Louisiana Purchase Card through the point-of-sale machine and enter your PIN. If you receive SNAP and cash benefits, be sure to select the correct payment type after you swipe your card. You can also use your EBT to shop and pay for groceries online.

Most Louisiana households must meet gross and net income tests to be eligible for benefits. Households with those aged 60 and over or a person who is receiving certain types of disability payments only need to meet the net income test. The amount each household receives each month depends on household size and countable income. 

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The Louisiana Combined Application Project, or LaCAP, is a simplified version of SNAP available to residents who are at least 60 years of age and receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). LaCAP recipients are issued one of three standard monthly allotment amounts — $30, $82 or $170 — via Louisiana Purchase Cards.

Food assistance is only available through LaCAP or SNAP. If you receive benefits through LaCAP, you can switch to SNAP at any time.

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Louisiana’s SNAP benefits are distributed between the 5th and the 23rd of each month. Elderly or disabled recipients will receive their benefits on the 1st through 4th of each month, while all other recipients will receive their SNAP benefits depending on the last two digits of their Social Security number. Benefits are accessible by 5:00 a.m. the morning after they are posted.

You can also check your SNAP benefit schedule on the LifeInCheck EBT mobile app. Go to “My Account,” then click “Benefits Schedule.”

Here’s the July 2022 schedule for Louisiana SNAP:

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