In Texas, SNAP is administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and can be used to purchase most foods at grocery stores and participating retailers. Benefits are deposited monthly onto Texas Lone Star Cards, the state’s version of the EBT card.

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SNAP eligibility in Texas is based on household income and resources. For a family of four, the maximum monthly income allowed is $3,644 while the maximum monthly SNAP amount is $835. Most people between the ages of 16 and 59 must also follow work rules, which state that you must be looking for a job or be in an approved work program. If you have a job, you cannot quit without a good reason.

If you live in a household where all members are 60 or older or people with disabilities, you can apply for Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP). This is a simplified SNAP application and it provides three years of benefits instead of six months.

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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP benefits can be used to purchase:

  • Fruits and vegetablesMeat, poultry and fishSeafood (Lobster and Shellfish)Dairy productsBreads and cerealsBirthday CakesGift Baskets (as long as they are 50% edible)Snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages including energy drinksSeeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat

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SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase:

  • Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobaccoVitamins, medicines and supplementsLive animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store)Foods that are hot at the point of saleAny nonfood items

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