SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, supplements the monthly grocery budget of low-income households who meet program rules. In Texas, SNAP benefits are administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and distributed once per month to Texas Lone Star Cards. February’s payments will follow the normal schedule for the state of Texas.

                By                    Josephine Nesbit

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The date you receive your Texas SNAP food benefits is based on the last digit in your Eligibility Determination Group number. This number is assigned to you by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission when you apply for SNAP. Benefits are deposited onto Lone Star Cards over 15 days, beginning on the 1st of every month.

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Here is the February 2023 schedule for Texas Lone Star Card SNAP benefits:

SNAP eligibility is based on three tests — gross income, net income and asset tests — as well as how many people live in the household. For a family of four in Texas, the maximum monthly income to remain eligible for benefits is $3,816 with the maximum monthly SNAP amount for a family of the same size being $939.

Texas residents can apply online at YourTexasBenefits.com. If you prefer to fill out a paper application, you can download it or ask your local SNAP office to mail the application. Your completed paper application can be mailed, faxed or delivered in person to your local Texas SNAP benefits office.

Texas SNAP benefits can be used to purchase most foods — as well as seeds and plants to grow food — at major grocery stores and retailers, or at any store that has a Lone Star Card sign. SNAP benefits cannot be used to:

  • Buy tobaccoBuy alcoholic drinksBuy things you can’t eat or drinkPay for food bills you oweBuy hot meals intended for immediate consumption

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While some states allow you to purchase hot meals prepared in restaurants through the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), Texas is not one of those states. Your Texas Lone Star Card can also be used online. You can check online for approved retailers. SNAP shoppers can double their benefits at farmers’ markets or with Fresh for Less mobile markets and curbside delivery. 

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