Food stamps, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are both federal and state: the federal government funds the benefits and sets the rules, while individual states run the program on the ground and decide who qualifies under those rules.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 2020
What the Federal Government Handles
The U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees SNAP nationally through its Food and Nutrition Service. Washington pays for the benefits themselves and writes the regulations that decide who is eligible and what the money can buy.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 2020
Federal rules define eligible food as items meant to be prepared and eaten at home, and they exclude products like alcohol and tobacco. Hot foods are generally off the list, with exceptions for certain groups such as elderly or homeless recipients, who may use benefits for prepared meals. The income limits that decide eligibility are also set federally, with adjusted figures for Alaska and Hawaii.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 20123Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 2014
The USDA also audits state performance. If a state issues benefits incorrectly through negligence or fraud, the federal government can require the state to pay those funds back.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 2020
What States Handle
States are the day-to-day administrators. They take applications, certify which households qualify, and issue the Electronic Benefit Transfer cards that recipients use at the checkout counter. The federal government reimburses states for half of these administrative costs, including caseworker salaries and office expenses.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 20204Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 2025
States also have some room to shape the program to local conditions. One clear example: states can choose how certain assets and financial resources are counted when they decide whether an applicant qualifies. The federal eligibility framework still applies, but the state fills in the details within it.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 2014
What This Means if You’re Applying
For anyone actually seeking benefits, the practical answer is that you deal with your state. The application goes to a state agency, a state caseworker conducts the eligibility interview, and the state issues the EBT card if you’re approved.5USDA. SNAP Eligibility The money loaded onto that card, and the rules about who gets it and what it can buy, come from the federal side.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 U.S.C. § 2020