SNAP is a food program for low-income individuals and families [i]. This webpage covers a description of the SNAP Program, including the rules, the number of participants, the history, and the program’s costs. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and was formally called the Food Stamp Program. It is run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Participants receive a monthly debit card (Electronic Benefit Transfer – EBT Card) that can be used to buy food in most grocery stores. The cards are generally not good for non-food items.
Families and individuals qualify for the Program if they participate in the SSI or TANF programs or have a qualifying low income. This means gross income below 130% of the poverty threshold or net income below 100% of the poverty threshold. Gross income includes wages and salaries but excludes most government and charitable benefits. Net income is calculated using a complex formula that deducts items such as a standard deduction, child support, medical deduction, etc. In addition to low income, participants must also have a “Resource” value of below $2,750 per household unless at least one household member is over 60 years old, whereby the value is raised to $4,250. Resource value generally includes cash and investments but excludes retirement savings, a house, and a car.
SNAP benefits are graduated to income levels – that is, the more an individual or family earns, the lower the SNAP benefit. The maximum benefit available is $291 per month for a household of one and increases by about $230 for each additional household member. The maximum benefit is lowered by about 30% of the income made by the household. Different rules apply to Hawaii and Alaska households with elderly or disabled members.
Participation in SNAP Over The Years
The graph above compares the number of people in poverty to the number of participants in the SNAP Program [iii]. The number of Americans in poverty has been relatively consistent over the years, at 12% – 15% of the population (see Poverty and Spending Over the Years). The absolute number of people in poverty has grown as the population of the United States has grown. SNAP participation dropped from 2017 to 2019 due to the strong economy and low unemployment. Participation increased during the Coronavirus economic hardship of 2020 and 2021.
Compared to the number of people in poverty, the number of participants in the SNAP Program has risen or shrunk over time as SNAP eligibility has been loosened or tightened. The increase in participation starting in 2008 is due to the increase in eligibility in the 2008 Farm Bill (see history below). These efforts aimed to expand the Program to more of the population in poverty.
Work Requirement
SNAP has two sets of work requirements as described below by the USDA [xii]:
General Work Requirement
If you are 16 – 59 and work, you will probably need to meet the general work requirements to get SNAP benefits. The general work requirements include registering for work, participating in SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) or workfare if assigned by your state SNAP agency, taking a suitable job if offered, and not voluntarily quitting a job or reducing your work hours without a good reason.
The Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) Work Requirement and Time Limit
If you are 18–49, able to work, and don’t have any dependents, you might need to meet both the general work requirements and an additional work requirement for ABAWDs to get SNAP for more than three months in 3 years (the time limit). You can meet the ABAWD work requirement by doing any one of these things:
- Work at least 80 hours a month. Work can be for pay, for goods or services (for something other than money), unpaid, or as a volunteer;
- Participate in a work program at least 20 hours a week. A work program could be SNAP Employment and Training or another federal, state, or local work program;
- Participate in a combination of work and work program hours for a total of at least 80 hours a month;
- Participate in workfare for the number of hours assigned to you each month (the number of hours will depend on the amount of your SNAP benefit.)
SNAP Expenditures and the Welfare System
The SNAP program spent $134.6 billion in fiscal year 2023 and $148.5 billion in fiscal year 2022 [ii]. SNAP is one of 13 welfare programs of the federal government. The full Welfare System, including SNAP, is shown on the Welfare Programs Page.
SNAP Program Characteristics
The following chart presents the characteristics of SNAP households [iv]. In 2020, 18.7 million households participated in the SNAP program in America. 38% of the households had children, 22% had disabled working-age adults, and 29% included an elderly person. SNAP households with working-age adults and no disabilities, children, or elderly people totaled 13%.
SNAP Food and Drink Purchases Description
The Department of Agriculture reports on the type and quantity of food SNAP participants buy and compares that to non-SNAP households. Generally, the percentage of various food types purchased by SNAP participants is roughly equivalent to non-SNAP households [xi]. SNAP participants spend about 26.4% of their SNAP benefits on meat and vegetables, which compares to 25.0% for non-SNAP households. SNAP participants spend about 22.6% of their benefits on sweetened drinks, desserts, salty snacks, candy, and sugar. That compares to 19.6% for non-SNAP households.
SNAP Improper Payments and Fraud Description
The Office of Management and Budget estimates an 11.55% Improper Payment rate for the SNAP Program – See further description on the Welfare Fraud Page. In addition, the USDA estimates that 2.0% of SNAP payments are included in trafficking by the retailer, whereby SNAP benefits are traded for cash, usually at a discount [v].
SNAP History
The following is a description of the history of the SNAP Program. It was adapted from the websites Snap to Health[vi] and The USDA—A Short History of SNAP[vii].
In 1964, The Food Stamp Act was passed as a part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” Program. The goal was to use agricultural overproduction effectively, improve nutrition levels among low-income individuals, and strengthen the farm economy. The Food Stamp Program required the purchase of “stamps” or coupons at benefit levels similar to what a household typically allots to food expenditures. A “bonus” amount (benefit), determined based on a participant’s income level, was awarded to enable the purchase of a low-cost, nutritionally adequate diet as defined by the Economy Food Plan.
Significant revisions were made to the Program in the Food Stamp Act of 1977, including the elimination of the requirement that participants purchase stamps, the establishment of uniform national standards of eligibility, the expansion of the Program to minority communities, more federal support for the implementation of the Program at the state level, and restricted access to benefits for students enrolled in a university.
In 1981, the Food Stamps Program experienced severe budget cuts during the Administration of President Ronald Reagan. Some funding was restored to the Food Stamp Program in 1988 and 1990. During this period, efforts were made to streamline the administration of the Food Stamp Program, including introducing an early form of the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card and expanding access for eligible participants. A pullback in the Program was experienced in the late 1990s, as funds were converted into block grants to the states, and stricter requirements were placed on food stamp usage and eligibility.
Significant changes were made to the Food Stamp Program in the early 2000s. Food stamp participation increased dramatically, and eligibility was extended to qualified immigrants and children 18 years old and younger. Also, during this period, the stamps used for food purchases were replaced with EBT cards. The cards, modeled after credit cards, transfer government benefits from a federal account to the SNAP retailer.
The 2008 farm bill was enacted through President Bush’s veto override. The new law increased the commitment to federal food assistance programs by more than $10 billion over ten years. The law changed its name to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to fight stigma. Benefits were augmented for most households on October 1, 2008, due to the increase in the minimum use and standard deduction and the elimination of the cap on the deduction for childcare expenses. The new law also expanded eligibility by indexing the asset limits to inflation and excluding combat pay and most retirement and education accounts as countable resources.
The Coronavirus Relief Bill of 2021 increased SNAP benefits by an estimated 15% for three years. The SNAP portion of the bill was small compared to the increase in Refundable Tax Credits and Housing Assistance. More.
SNAP Expenditures Over The Years
The graph to the right shows SNAP expenditures per year adjusted for the impacts of inflation (stated in 2022 dollars) [viii].
In 2022, about 5% of expenses were for program administration, education, and training [ix], and the balance was for benefits.
SNAP expenditures have fluctuated as the program benefits and eligibility were expanded or contracted. Costs increased in 2008 – 2010 due to the 2008 Farm Bill, discussed above. The increase in 2020 – 2022 resulted from increased participation due to the Coronavirus economic shutdown and expanded benefits per participant, as shown below.
Average SNAP Benefit Over the Years
The graph to the left presents the average SNAP monthly payment to participants adjusted for inflation (stated in 2021 dollars) [x]. SNAP Benefits remained relatively flat at about $100 per month per person until 2008, increasing by almost 40%. This results from the liberalization of benefits in the 2008 Farm Bill, as described in SNAP history above. Average monthly payments increased to over $230 in 2020 and 2021 from $148 in 2019. The increase is the result of Coronavirus legislation increased benefits combined with the drop in income experienced by many participants during the pandemic raising their SNAP payment.
[i] For more description of the SNAP Program, see United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP, Eligibility [Internet]. Retrieved April 10, 2023. Available here.
[ii] USGovernmentSpending.com [Internet]. Total for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, the fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2024. Available here.
[iii] USDA. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) National Level Annual Summary, Participation, and Costs, 1969 – 2023. [Internet]. Retrieved April 4, 2024. Available here. Poverty information is included on the Poverty Statistics Page.
[iv] USDA. Yearly Trends SNAP households by demographic and income characteristics. [Internet] Retrieved April 4, 2024. Available here.
[v] USDA. Food and Nutrition Office, Office of Policy Support. The Extent of Trafficking in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: 2015 – 2017. September 2021. Available here.
[vi] Snap to Health. History of SNAP. [Internet]. Retrieved April 4, 2024. Available here.
[vii] USDA – A Short History of SNAP [Internet]. Retrieved April 4, 2024. Available here.
[viii] Data from USGovernmentSpending.com [Internet]. The methodology of inflation adjustment is explained on the web page Poverty and Spending Over the Years.
[ix] USDA. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) National Level Annual Summary, Participation, and Costs, 1969 – 2022. [Internet]. Total benefits and all other costs are divided by total costs. Retrieved April 4, 2024. Available here.
[x] Represents SNAP program costs for each year, adjusted for inflation, divided by the number of participants. The calculation methodology and data source are described on the Poverty and Spending and Over the Years webpage.
[xi] USDA. Foods typically purchased by Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) households (Summary). November 2016. Available here.
[xii] USDA. SNAP Work Requirments. [Internet]. Retrieved April 4, 2024. Available here.