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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
The ARRA raised SNAP benefits to help people affected by the recession. This temporary expansion to expire on November 1, 2013, resulting in a relative benefit decrease for SNAP households. For families of three, the cut will be $29 a month — a total of $319 for November 2013 through September 2014, the remaining months of fiscal year 2014. Following the expiration of the benefits expanded by the ARRA, SNAP benefits are expected average less than $1.40 per person per meal in 2014

Eligibility
SNAP is a federal entitlement program, which means if you meet the eligibility requirements, then you should receive benefits. There are income and resource requirements for SNAP, as well as specific requirements for immigrants, elderly persons and persons with disabilities.

Income Requirements
For income, individuals and households may qualify for benefits if they earn a gross monthly income that is 130% (or less) of the federal poverty level for a specific household size. For example: the SNAP-eligible gross monthly income is $1,245 or less for an individual. For a household of 4, the SNAP eligible gross monthly income is $2,552 or less. Your gross monthly income is the amount you make each month before any deductions, i.e. taxes, insurance, pensions, etc.

Resource Requirements
There is also a resource requirement for SNAP, although eligibly requirements vary slightly from state to state. Generally speaking, households may have up to $2,000 in a bank account or other countable sources. If at least one person is age 60 or older and/or has disabilities, households may have $3250 in countable resources.

Immigrant Status and Eligibility
The 2002 Farm Bill restores SNAP eligibility to most legal immigrants that: •	Have lived in the country for 5 years; or •	Are receiving disability-related assistance or benefits; or •	Have children under 18 Certain non-citizens, such as those admitted for humanitarian reasons and those admitted for permanent residence, may also eligible for the SNAP program. Eligible household members can get SNAP benefits even if there are other members of the household that are not eligible.

Applying for SNAP Benefits
Individuals who believe they may be eligible for SNAP benefits may use the Food and Nutrition Services’ SNAP Screening Tool, which can help gauge eligibility. To apply for SNAP benefits, you must first fill out a program application and return it to your local SNAP office. Each state has a different application, which is usually available online. There is more information about various state applications processes, including location sof SNAP offices in various state, displayed on an interactive Outreach Map found on the FNS website. http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/outreach/map.htm

Participants
An annual report released by the Department of Agriculture about the composition of households participating in the Food Stamp Program is identified as the Characteristics Report.

A summary statistical report indicated that an average of 46.6 million people used the program in 2012, up from 26.3 million in 2007, a 77% increase.