Louisiana Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, provides basic food for the low-income families in Louisiana. These families get financial aid so that they can buy healthy food and meet their nutritional requirements. It acts as first line of defense against poverty for deprived families.

Louisiana Food Stamps only covers a portion of monthly food cost for most families. Therefore, families receiving the aid will have to contribute from their end as well in order to meet their monthly food cost.

Louisiana SNAP (Food Stamps) provides benefits through an Electronic Benefit Card (EBT), also known as Louisiana Purchase Card. It works just like any normal Debit Card. Cardholders can use it to buy food from designated stores. Cardholders receive benefits within first fourteen days of each month.

EBT cardholders can use it to buy foods such as bread, cereal, fish, meat, poultry, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Cardholders can also buy seed that will grow into food-producing plants. Cardholders can't buy anything other than food items. SNAP benefits can't be used for buying liquor, wine, bear, cigarettes, pet food, hot foods, food meant to be eaten in the store, household items, and vitamins.

Low-income households in Louisiana can apply for SNAP (Food Stamps) benefits if they meet resource and income requirements for the program. The program requires its participants to register for work, unless they are not fit for work. All members of applicant household should have Social Security number or they must have applied for it.

Eligibility Requirements

Louisiana SNAP-Food Stamps have certain categorical and financial criteria for awarding benefits. Applicants will have to be:

• U.S citizens or qualified aliens
• Residents of Louisiana

All persons in the household will have to register for work. They should also accept suitable employment. Some persons, such as those determined unfit for work, elderly, and disabled, are exempted from work registration.

Apart from these basic eligibility requirements, Louisiana SNAP (Food Stamps) also requires applicants to meet certain income and resources requirements.

Income Requirements

Households applying for SNAP will have to meet gross and net income requirements. However, households with an elderly person (aged 60 or above) or a disabled are only required to clear net income eligibility. The net and gross income limit varies with number of people in the household. Similarly, amount of SNAP benefits also varies with income requirements. Here is a chart to help you determine whether your household meets income limits or not.

Income Limits According to Household Size

Household Size	Max Gross Monthly Eligibility Standard 130% Poverty	Max Gross Monthly Eligibility Standard 200% Poverty	Max Net Monthly Income Eligibility Standard
1	$1,580	$2,430	$1,215
2	$2,137	$3,288	$1,644
3	$2,694	$4,144	$2,072
4	$3,250	$5,000	$2,500
5	$3,807	$5,858	$2,929
6	$4,364	$6,714	$3,357
7	$4,921	$7,570	$3,785
8	$5,478	$8,424	$4,214
Each Additional Member	+$557	+$858	+$429

For households with more members, please add $429 in Gross monthly limit and $330 in Net monthly limit for each additional person. For benefits, add $150 for each additional household member.

Resources requirements

Households that require to pass resources eligibility test can't have more than $2000 in resources. Households with a person over 60 or disabled can have $3250 in resources and still qualify for SNAP (Food Stamps) benefits.

Households where an individual receives benefits from certain programs such as FITAP, KCSP, and STEP will be exempt from resources eligibility test.

If you want to check your eligibility before you apply for the program, you can use this web page for more information.

Food Stamps Application Instructions

In order to apply for SNAP (Food Stamps), you will have to fill out an application and submit it with the DCFS office. You can do this in two different ways.

Apply Online

You can fill an application online for Louisiana Food Stamps (SNAP) benefits. Click here to to fill your application. Once you complete the application, hit submit button to submit the application online to DCFS office.

Apply Through Mail

You can fill out an application after downloading it from this link, after you fill it out you will need to send it to DCFS office through mail. This can be mailed to Louisiana's SNAP Document Processing Center
DCFS Economic Stability
P.O. Box 260031
Baton Rouge, LA 70826
OR
Dropped off at the nearest DCFS office

Apply in Person

You can apply in person by visiting your nearest DCFS office. You will be provided an application that you can fill and submit in the DCFS office.

Click here to find the phone numbers, addresses, and directions to your nearest DCFS.

When you apply for Louisiana SNAP benefits, you will receive a call from a DCFS employee to interview you over the phone. In some cases, DCFS may request an interview in person.