What You Need To Know
The Tennessee Food Stamp Program is funded by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program is also called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in some states and it assists households with poor income to buy food items to improve their health conditions.
What are the program goals?
The main aim of the Tennessee Food Stamp Program is to provide the underprivileged families living on a fixed budget with an opportunity to improve their food quality. It helps them add valuable nutrition to their diet by purchasing food that is healthy and nutritious. This leads them to live a healthy and self- sustaining lifestyle subsequently increasing the quality of life of the people in the state.
What is the working process?
In the Tennessee Food Stamp program, the eligible families are linked with government agencies, nutritionists, and local community-based organizations. These organizations make sure the families are fully educated about the program so that they can approach the application process in a well-informed manner. This helps families to make adequate decisions to take full benefit from the largest hunger preventive program in the country.
The beneficiaries are provided with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards similar to that of an ATM card which they can use in the various food stores approved by the government.
Are You Eligible?
Only eligible applicants can avail the benefits of the Tennessee Food Stamp Program and the eligibility requirements include,
- The candidate should be a permanent resident of Tennessee state
- The candidate must have a US citizenship or legal alien to receive the food supplement program
- The candidate must have maximum resources under $2,001
- In case the candidate is sharing the household with a people who are 60 or above, or with any disabled person, a child, spouse, a parent should have current bank balance (saving and checks combined) under $3,001.
The number of members in a household and total household income is also very important factors while considering a candidate for the Food Stamp Program in Tennessee.
The amount of the maximum gross income level before taxes must be less than or equal to
| Size Of Household | Maximum Annual Income Level ($) |
| 1 | 16237 |
| 2 | 21983 |
| 3 | 27729 |
| 4 | 33475 |
| 5 | 39221 |
| 6 | 44967 |
| 7 | 50713 |
| 8 | 56459 |
An additional amount of $5746 will be added per additional person if the size of the household exceeds more than 8 people. Also, it’s important to stay in touch with a proper managing agency in your locality to receive accurate guidelines and future policies related to the Tennessee Food Stamp Program.
You can also check the pre-screening tool on the official Tennessee Food Stamp website to check the eligibility criteria of the program. The applicant will have to provide information like,
- Earnings
- Rent or mortgage
- Utility expenses
- Child support expenses
- Day-care expenses
- Medical bills, if you are older than 60, or disabled
- Other benefit programs you have applied to
- Any other payments
How To Apply?
There are multiple ways to apply for the Tennessee Food Stamp Program including,
- Online application
After checking your eligibility for the Tennessee SNAP program, the next step is the application process. You can make your application online by visiting the Tennessee DHS website. Here you will be provided with all the necessary information. This website provides easy and fast online services to the citizens of Tennessee to access the application form.
- Apply through the local office
Another easy way of applying for the Tennessee Food Stamp Program is by applying through the Department of Health Services (DHS) office branch in your locality. The office will provide every kind of assistance and the representatives there will make the whole process less daunting by providing the necessary information. You can locate the DHS office by going to the Office Locator page.
You can download the application form through the Tennessee official SNAP website and fill it as accurately and truthfully as possible because false statements can lead you to penalties. Once the application is submitted you cannot change it hence it is advisable to be careful while filling out the application form.
Before filling the application form make sure you have all the required information to speed up the process. Once you have filled out the application form you can return it to food stamp office either by
- Fax
- In-person
For Further Information
In case of queries or any extra data required, information about the Tennessee Food Stamp program is available on the official website. The website provides information regarding the program policies and guidelines to applicants to help them get a better understating of the program.
Furthermore, you can take visit Tennessee Food Stamp Program to learn more about the program. This makes the applying process very flexible for the applicants who can use any of the above-mentioned methods to apply for the Tennessee SNAP.