Step 1 (optional): Take the prescreening test here.
Step 2: Apply in one of the following ways:
- Print out an application here.
- Apply online here between the hours of 6:00AM to 12:00AM (midnight). During the night the site is unavailable due to system maintenance.
- Apply in person at your local Division of Family Assistance (DFA) office. To find a place to apply, click here.
Step 3: Once you have completed your application, mail, fax, or deliver it to your Division of Family Assistance office. Click here to find the office nearest you.
The state can also be contacted through their Department of Health and Human Services offices. Click here to find one near you.
Note: For assistance, please call: 800-852-3345 x4238
Applying For New Hampshire Food Stamps
To support low income people having trouble affording food, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) was developed. SNAP is frequently known as food stamps, as previously, colored stamps were disbursed and utilized to obtain food items. SNAP offered support to over 40 million Americans in 2010.
Any person inside the United States can apply for food stamps, regardless of their background, race, sex, or religious beliefs. The average individual received $101/month from the SNAP program in 2008, allowing them to pay for bread, dairy, meat, produce, fruits and even garden seeds.
Rules For Applying
To get accepted into the food stamp program, you need to meet certain monetary as well as situational requirements. During the application process, and interview, you will need to have particular documents on hand.
For the majority of individuals under the age of 60, you cannot have greater than $2,000 in assets. If a person in your home, or you, are at least 60 years old, then the limit is raised up to $3,000. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income), are not regarded as assets when you are applying for food stamps. Resources that will count towards your total assets include cash, money saved in a bank account and in some cases a vehicle.
There is also an income limit, which relies on the amount of persons residing in your household at the time that you apply for food stamps.
The total of your expenses is also considered. If you are paying for child or elderly care, rent, mortgage, or utilities; all of those expenses will be taken into consideration. In addition, there are also certain medical related expenditures that can add up towards your total expenses when you are applying for food stamps.
The Interview
Once your application has been sent and looked over by the New Hampshire Department of Family Assistance (DFA) office near you, you will need to participate in an interview to further determine whether or not you qualify for food stamps. The interview should be short and will mostly likely be conducted over the telephone. Before your interview, the DFA asks that participants print out the form found here and fill it out completely before they conduct the interview. It makes everything go faster and smoother to have everything ready for the interview.
All those who pass the requirements and have their application approved to start getting SNAP benefits, will be sent an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card. The EBT card may be used like a debit card to purchase food items at particular grocery stores, convenience stores, or even farmer markets.
The Food Stamp Employment and Training Program
New Hampshire does not require that it’s food stamp beneficiaries join their Food Stamp Employment and Training Program (FSET), but it is available to those who need help finding a job to increase their income and start creating a better life for themselves. If you are getting food stamps and not cash assistance, you qualify for this program.
FSET technicians can help you find jobs, refer you to training help and other resources in your community and they may be able to get some of your travel costs from job searching paid for. This can mean up to $40 in travel expenses are covered by the FSET program. For more information click here. To apply for this program, call (800) 852-3345 ext.9329 or call 271-9329. You can call anytime between 8:00am and 4:30pm, Mon.-Fri.