Do all SNAP recipients have to reapply for benefits?
On Thursday, Nov. 13, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollings told the outlet Newsmax her plans to “have everyone reapply for their benefits, make sure that everyone that’s taking a taxpayer-funded benefit through ... food stamps, that they literally are vulnerable and they can’t survive without it.”
As of Nov. 17, there are no immediate plans to have everyone on SNAP reapply for the program at the same time.
If you’re on SNAP, there’s nothing you have to do differently—but the normal SNAP recertification process will continue as usual, so if you have recertification coming up, make sure you’re prepared.
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How does SNAP recertification work?#how-does-snap-recertification-work
If you’re on SNAP, you probably already know that SNAP recertification often happens every six to twelve months, depending on your case (although some households in some states may need to recertify every one to four months, and certain older or disabled SNAP recipients may only have to recertify every 24 months).
Recertification is basically just the process of checking in to make sure you’re still getting the right amount of benefits.
Your state will tell you exactly what you need to do to recertify, but usually, it’s a less complex process than when you initially applied for SNAP benefits. Generally, you have to:
- Complete your recertification form (this may come in the mail as part of your recertification package)
- Attend a recertification interview (this is when you’ll go over the information in your form and verify that it’s all correct)
- Follow up with any additional documents (you may have to send in proof that your income or living expenses have changed)
- Wait for approval or denial, this usually takes about two week
Don’t worry, you should have plenty of notice before it’s time to recertify your benefits.
If it’s been a while since you last recertified or since you started getting SNAP, keep an eye on your mail for a recertification package going over all the required steps.
And as always, make sure your address is up to date in your SNAP file and you’ve shared any big life changes that might affect your deposit amount, like the birth of a new child or a change in your employment status.
