To qualify for regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps in Louisiana, households must meet specific resource and income limits. Individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or households with members receiving Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP), or Strategies to Empower People (STEP) benefits are exempt from resource limits. Other households may have up to $3,000 in resources (bank accounts, cash, etc.), or $4,500 if a member is 60 or older or disabled. However, households are not exempt if a member has committed an Intentional Program Violation or failed to comply with work registration requirements. Ineligible aliens, students, individuals disqualified for non-compliance with work requirements, those failing to provide a social security number, and individuals on strike are also not exempt.
Income limits also apply unless a member receives FITAP, KCSP, STEP, or all members receive SSI. Most households must meet both gross (total income before deductions) and net (income after deductions) income tests. Households with a member 60 or older or receiving disability payments only need to meet the net income test. SNAP benefit amounts, or allotments, vary based on household size and net income.
In addition to resource and income requirements, eligibility for Louisiana Food Stamps also includes proving identity, Louisiana residency, citizenship (US citizens or eligible aliens), providing Social Security numbers for all members, and registering for work for able-bodied adults with certain exceptions.
Louisiana residents 60 years or older receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may qualify for the Louisiana Combined Application Project (LaCAP), a simplified food assistance program. LaCAP provides a Louisiana Purchase Card with monthly SNAP benefits automatically deposited. Three standard allotment amounts exist ($100, $151, or $244) based on shelter costs. LaCAP certification lasts 36 months.
Eligibility for LaCAP requires receiving SSI, being 60 or older, not being institutionalized or ineligible for SNAP due to immigration status or program violations, living alone or agreeing to buy/prepare food separately, and not living with a spouse or child under 22. Applying for LaCAP involves submitting an application to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), followed by a worker determining eligibility and sending a notification letter within 30 days.
While LaCAP offers a streamlined application process, seniors receiving SSI can choose between LaCAP and regular SNAP. Regular SNAP might offer higher benefits for those with over $35 in monthly out-of-pocket medical expenses or over $712 in monthly shelter costs. Switching from LaCAP to regular SNAP is possible at any time.
