2025 Guide to SNAP Benefits: Understanding Your Household

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which used to be called Food Stamps, helps people with low income afford a nutritious diet.

This program gives benefits through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. This card works like a debit card, and people can use it to buy food at stores that accept it.

 

How SNAP Works and Who Gets It

SNAP is run by the federal government, under the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

However, each state has its own rules for this program, which they update every year. These updates are based on changes in the cost of living, which also affects how much money beneficiaries will get.

Who gets SNAP benefits depends a lot on household income, but it's also important to understand what SNAP considers a "household."
 

Who Counts as a Household in SNAP?

The USDA defines a SNAP household as a group of people who live together and share meals. This usually includes spouses and children under 22 living together, even if they have their meals separately.

However, there are special cases. For example, if someone is over 60 and can't prepare meals because of a disability, they and their spouse can be counted as their own SNAP household. This only applies if the other people they live with don’t earn much money (specifically, no more than 165% of the federal poverty level).

Check out: Understanding SNAP Benefits in 2025 for Big Families
 

Important Limitations

SNAP benefits are aimed at helping those in the most need. So, if you're living somewhere that provides most of your meals for you (like some institutions), you might not be eligible for SNAP—though there are exceptions for older adults and people with disabilities.

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