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Food Assistance Program Overview

The Food Assistance Program supplements the food purchasing power of low-income individuals and families. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds 100 percent of this program. The state and federal governments share administrative costs. The Department of Human Services (DHS) determines eligibility for food assistance.

Generally, eligibility for food assistance depends on the financial situation of all members of the household group. All persons who live together and purchase and prepare food together are considered to be members of the same food assistance group.

FAP benefits can be used to buy eligible food at any Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) authorized retail food store or approved meal provider.

Eligible food includes:

• Any food or food product intended for human consumption except alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and foods prepared for immediate consumption.
• Seeds and plants to grow food for personal consumption.
• Meals prepared by organizations approved by FNS as specified below.
• Meals prepared and served to eligible residents by a shelter for battered women and children, certain adult foster care (AFC) homes and substance abuse treatment centers.

Retail food stores include:

• Recognized grocery stores.
• House-to-house grocery vendors, such as milk and milk product deliverers, but not ice cream vendors.
• Nonprofit food purchasing ventures - private nonprofit associations of consumers whose members pool their resources to buy food.

Approved meal providers may include:

• Communal dining facilities. (example: certain homeless shelters, group homes)
• Certain restaurants  which provide low cost meals if you or your spouse are 60 years of age or older or blind, disabled and receive SSI or are homeless.
• Meal delivery services - public or private nonprofit organizations which prepare and deliver meals to elderly persons (60 years of age or over), physically or mentally impaired persons, and their spouses, who are unable to adequately prepare all of their meals