What Do You Need To Know
The West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was established with the purpose of poverty alleviation in the state of West Virginia. The program provides nutritious food that meets the standard dietary requirements to the poor households. In this way, the program helps to improve the health conditions of individuals and families from underprivileged backgrounds. The Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) administers the program in the state.
The responsibilities of DHHR include but are not limited to,
- Developments of policies and procedure
- Regulation of laws and issues related to the program
- Accurately monitoring the program
- Compliance with the Federal government’s rule and regulation
- Updating the program from time to time
The selected candidates then receive an electronic card referred to as Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) which they can use to purchase food items from the government-approved food stores.
What food items you can buy?
Food items that can be bought using the EBT card are,
- Cereals
- Fruits
- Bread
- Dairy product
- Vegetable and other such items
- Plant-based food products
What food items are forbidden?
The eligible households are forbidden to buy certain products using the WV Supplemental Nutrition Assistance EBT card like,
- Medicines
- Hot restaurant food
- Paper food
- Cleaning products
- Cosmetics
- Beverages, alcohol, and tobacco
- Instantly consumable food
Are You Eligible?
Only eligible applicants can avail the benefits of the West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the eligibility requirements are:
- The candidate should be a permanent resident of the state of West Virginia
- The candidate must have a US citizenship or legal alien to receive the SNAP benefits
- The candidate must have a current bank balance(saving and checks combined) under $2001
- In case the candidate is sharing a household with a people who are 60 or above, or with any disabled person who can be a child, spouse, the parent should have current bank balance (saving and checks combined) under $3,001.
The number of members in a household and total household income are also very important factors while considering a candidate for West Virginia SNAP.
The amount of the maximum gross income level before taxes must be less than or equal to
| Size of Household | Maximum Annual Income Level ($) |
| 1 | 16237 |
| 2 | 21983 |
| 3 | 27729 |
| 4 | 33475 |
| 5 | 39221 |
| 6 | 44967 |
| 7 | 50713 |
| 8 | 56459 |
An additional amount of $5,746 will be added per additional person if the size of the household exceeds more than 8 members. 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 program.
You can also visit the West Virginia official SNAP website to check the eligibility criteria of the food stamp program. The applicant will have to provide information regarding their
- 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 West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program like,
Online application
You can make your application online by visiting the official SNAP office where you will be provided with all the necessary information. This website provides easy and fast online services to the citizens of West Virginia.
Apply via phone
You can also request an application form by calling the DHHR office at 1-800-642-8589.
Apply through the local office:
Another easy way of applying for the West Virginia SNAP is by visiting the https://dhhr.wv.gov/bcf/Pages/MapList.aspx website. The Bureau of Children and Families that comes under the Department of Health and Human Resources office will provide every possible assistance and the officials will make the whole process less daunting by providing the necessary information.
You can download the application form through the above-mentioned website and fill it as accurately and truthfully as possible. It should be noted that any false statement can lead you to termination of the program benefits. 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
You can visit the link for more information about the West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The website will make sure that you are provided with up-to-date information regarding the program to make the application process easy. You can choose any of the above options to get the application form and apply either in person or online however you feel comfortable.