The Chronicles Of Grant County
SNAP Benefits
Part Four
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits can be used to purchase vegetables like peppers and chilis. (The photograph was produced by Lance Cheung and provided courtesy of the USDA, November 9, 2014.)
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a program that for more than 50 years "…has served as the cornerstone of the nation's nutrition safety net by providing food assistance to low-income families and individuals."
"Since [the] SNAP is an entitlement program, it is available to nearly everyone with limited income and resources as long as they are citizens or meet certain immigration status requirements," the statement from the FNS of the USDA continued. "SNAP eligibility has never been extended to undocumented non-citizens. Specific requirements for non-citizens who may be eligible have changed substantially over the years and become more complicated in certain areas…"
While individuals can purchase many different types of food through benefits provided through the SNAP, according to the FNS of the USDA, participants "…cannot use SNAP benefits to buy: beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco; vitamins, medicines, and supplements – if an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase; live 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 sale; [and] any nonfood items such as pet foods; cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies; [and] hygiene items [and] cosmetics."
There are specific household income amounts that cannot be exceeded as well as limits on the value of assets held by members of the household. These restrictions are based on the number of people in each household.
Please note that there are specific definitions regarding who is to be included in a "household," what is considered "income," and what is considered an "asset" when determining eligibility for the SNAP.
The USDA noted that "there are special SNAP rules for households with elderly or disabled members."
For example, eligibility guidelines for the SNAP in New Mexico through September 30, 2024, indicate that the asset limit for a household with at least one person who is 60 years of age or older or a household with at least one individual who is disabled is $4,250.00. The asset limit through that date in the State of New Mexico for all other households (ones without anyone 60 years of age or older or an individual who is disabled) is $2,750.00.
The maximum monthly SNAP benefit in New Mexico during the time period from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, ranges from $291.00 for a one-person household to $1,751.00 for a household with eight people, according to a statement from the Health Care Authority of the State of New Mexico. The maximum amount added to the monthly amount for each additional person (beyond 8 people) in a household is $219.00.
To review detailed information about the SNAP in New Mexico, please visit the following website:
https://www.hsd.state.nm.us/lookingforassistance/supplemental_nutrition_assistance_program__snap/
Additional information can also be obtained by telephone at 800-432-6217 or through Family Community Resource Centers located at 910 Pear Street in Deming; 603 Hadeco Drive in Lordsburg; and 3088 32nd Street Bypass, Suite A, in Silver City. Hours vary depending on location. No office location was listed in Catron County.
Do you have questions about communities in Grant County?
A street name? A building?
Your questions may be used in a future news column.
Contact Richard McDonough at
If your email does not go through, please contact
© 2024 Richard McDonough
