Restrictions on Using Food Stamps

Information on food stamp eligibility and what you can and can't buy with food stamps.

Food stamps are issued by the government and help assist those that need a little extra help keeping themselves and their family well fed. Contrary to popular belief, a wide variety of families can qualify for food stamps. While the term "food stamps" is still commonly used, most food assistance benefit programs use EBT cards that are like debit cards allowing for quick and easy food purchases.

Determining eligibility.

While there are some restrictions placed on who can receive food assistance benefits, mostly based on income and the number of dependents, anyone can check to see if they qualify. You will need to submit your income, household expenses, number of people in your home, and a list of some of your assets.

The online eligibility check is at the following website and can tell you how much money you can receive for food and grocery purchases: http://www.gettingfoodstamps.org/Screener2/ .

Restrictions on what you can't buy with food stamps.

Once you begin getting funds deposited into an EBT account for food purchases you can buy a wide variety of items. However some food items and other products are restricted and you will not be able to use food stamp benefits to purchase these restricted items.

Examples include:

Hot foods and food meant to be consumed in the store. This would include already prepared and ready to eat meals served in the store such as made sandwiches, cooked dishes, cooked meat, and quick service food.

Alcohol and tobacco products are also excluded from eligible purchases. Pet foods are also commonly excluded from the list of eligible purchases. Surprisingly, vitamins and vitamin supplements are generally excluded from the list of items that you can buy with food stamps. Non-food items are also excluded, basically if you can't eat it you can't buy it with food stamps.

Common foods that are allowable under the food stamp programs include frozen foods, raw ingredients that you will prepare at home, fruits, vegetables, prepackaged foods like snacks and quick prep meals that you prepare at home, milk and juices, and pretty much anything that isn't made hot and ready to eat in the store.

As the rules may vary from state to state and changes are made every few years, you should visit the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) official website about food stamps and benefits: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/ .