Fresno County, California

Food Stamps

The Food Stamp Program provides monthly benefits to help low-income households to purchase the food they need. The Food Stamp Program can help support good nutrition and help keep children and adults strong and healthy. The program is the only nationwide program available to all who need it, if eligible, regardless of age or family arrangement. Benefits are based on household income, with deductions allowed for certain expenses such as housing. Food Stamp benefits can provide an important "safety net" to families who have been discontinued from the CalWORKs program. To learn how to apply for benefits click here.    

Food Stamp benefits are no longer issued as coupons. Instead, an EBT card (Electronic Benefit Transfer) is issued. This electronic card is used like a debit card, making the distribution and use of  benefits faster and easier. By using the EBT card, cardholders can access food benefits at stores and other retailers who accept Food Stamp benefits. Some Farmer's Markets now accept EBT cards. 

Food Stamp benefits can only be used to purchase food products intended for people to eat. Food Stamp benefits may not be used to buy alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and hot foods or hot food products prepared to eat right away. In addition, they may also used to buy seeds and plants to grow food for the family to eat.

         Food Stamp Informational Video - English                   Food Stamp Informational Video - Spanish 

Families may still qualify for benefits even if someone in the home is employed full time. An Eligibility Worker can determine eligibility for continued benefits. If you would like to see how much in Food Stamps benefits you may be eligible for, please click here to go to the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) website. Remember the only way to know for sure if you are eligible and how much you will be able to receive is to visit a county office.   

Who Is Eligible

A Food Stamp Household may be a family, an individual, or any combination that purchases food and prepares meals together. A child living with parents cannot be a separate household until age 22.

Citizens of the United States or noncitizens who are legally residing in the U.S. are eligible to apply for Food Stamps. Noncitizen parents may be able to receive benefits for their children who are citizens. Some income and property limits are reviewed to see if the Food Stamp family is eligible. Property used as a home is exempt from property limits.

The benefits you may be eligible to receive depend on your income and family size. Below is the maximum benefits listed by the size of the family. (Effective 10/1/09) Although the levels remain the same as those in April 2009, the last COLA was 10/1/09.