SNAP Benefits (formerly food stamps)

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help you expand your healthy food budget and explore opportunities to support your wellbeing and education and employment goals. SNAP in Massachusetts is administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA).

SNAP benefits include:

• Monthly funds on an EBT card to buy food

• $40, $60 or $80 a month put back on your EBT card when you use SNAP to buy local produce via the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP)

• SNAP Path to Work free education and training opportunities

• Free nutrition education classes and resources

• Connections to other kinds of help, like utility discounts, free school meals and discounted admissions to many Commonwealth museums and cultural institutions via EBT Card to Culture

You can check your eligibility with a 10 second screener here.

1. Submit an Application.

This should take about 20 minutes.

2. The DTA will contact you to schedule an interview.

• You can have the interview over the phone or at a local office.

• They will provide an interpreter if you do not speak English.

• During the interview, they will determine if you are eligible for emergency SNAP benefits.

3. Send in Verifications:

Identity and Social Security Number (SSN) if applying

The DTA can generally verify this for you if you give them your SSN

Massachusetts residency:

• Rent receipt, lease, or utility bill or

• Deed or mortgage statement

Earnings and number of hours worked:

• Pay stubs or

• Letter from employer showing gross income and number of hours worked

Other income:

If you get workers’ compensation, Veterans’ benefits, pension, child support, alimony, etc.

• Benefit or award letter or

• Check or record of payment

If you receive income from Social Security Administration (SSA), unemployment income through DUA, or child support through the Department of Revenue (DOR), be sure to let the DTA know.

For Non-citizens:

• Permanent Resident Card (“green card”)

• Employment Authorization Card or

• Other documents showing current or pending immigration status *For other a list of optional snap verifications that might increase your benefits click here.

4. Receive your EBT card.

You may get the EBT card before the DTA decides if you are eligible for benefits. This is so you can use your benefits as soon as they are available, if you are eligible.

5. You will get a decision within 30 days.

You will get a letter in the mail telling you if you qualify. If your application is approved, the letter will tell you your benefit amount and when you will get your benefits.

If your application is denied:

• You can appeal the decision and your letter will tell you how you can file an appeal.

• Additionally, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) if you believe you have been discriminated against.

If you are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the SNAP Match program will double the value of your SNAP purchases at farmers markets.

At Mass Farmers Markets, you can spend up to $15 of your SNAP balance at the Market Manager’s tent. We match that $15 with an additional $15, and give you $30 worth of SNAP Match Tokens to spend at the market on SNAP-eligible items at any vendor. Tokens received at one market are not transferable to any other markets, and can be used until the end of the market season. You can use SNAP Match at multiple markets per week.

HIP puts money back on your EBT card (up to a monthly cap of $40, $60, or $80) when you use SNAP to buy healthy, local fruits and vegetables from HIP farm vendors.

There is no special sign-up for HIP. If you live in Massachusetts and get SNAP benefits, your household is automatically able to participate in HIP.

Learn more about SNAP benefits.

Make sure you have SNAP benefits left on your EBT card. If your SNAP balance is zero, you will not be able to use HIP until you have SNAP benefits available again.

HIP will put the SNAP dollars you spend on HIP produce back onto your EBT card instantly. Once the money has been put back on your EBT card, you can spend it at any SNAP retailer like always.

Only certain vendors process HIP.

Each type of vendor may process HIP a little differently.

Visit How to Use HIP for more details on using HIP, including step-by-step instructions for using HIP at every type of vendor.

Need a translation for what HIP is and how it works, for you or a family member? The DTA has released these videos explaining everything:

How HIP Works - English

How HIP Works - Spanish

How HIP Works - Chinese

How HIP Works - Vietnamese

How HIP Works - Portuguese

How HIP Works - Haitian Creole

They are also available on the HIP website.

You can earn HIP incentives at participating:

Farmers’ markets (where some or all vendors may participate in HIP)

Farm stands

Mobile markets

Community supported agriculture (CSA) farm share programs

Traditional grocery stores or convenience stores do not participate in HIP.

Visit DTAFinder.com to search for HIP vendors near you.

You can search by month, day of week open or “open today”.

You can also search by city, county or device geolocation (“my location”).

You will be able to see what order options vendors have, including availability of curbside pickup and delivery.

Learn how to use the map on a mobile device in English and Spanish and a desktop computer in English and Spanish.

First, look at your household’s monthly HIP cap. Your HIP monthly cap is based on your household size.

Household Size / HIP Monthly Cap

1-2 persons $40

3-5 persons $60

6+ persons $80

Check how much HIP you have already used for the month by:

• Calling the EBT customer service line at (800) 997-2555 (the number on the back of your EBT card), OR

• Checking your receipt after a HIP purchase to see “HIP Earned MTD” (month to date).

Then, subtract how much HIP you have used from your monthly HIP cap to find out how much HIP you can still use for that month.

Note: You can still use your full monthly HIP cap even if you receive less than that amount in SNAP. Just make sure you have SNAP benefits left on your EBT card so you can make your purchase. See How to Use HIP for more details.

When do I get HIP?

Your monthly HIP cap starts over on the first of each month, regardless of when you get your SNAP benefits.

If you have SNAP benefits left on your EBT card on the first of the month, you can start using your HIP for the month right away. If your SNAP balance is zero, you will not be able to use HIP until you have SNAP benefits available again.

No. Your monthly cap is always $40, $60, or $80, depending on your SNAP household size. If you do not use the full monthly HIP cap for your household size, you will not have extra HIP to use the following month.

The HIP amount tracks how much HIP you have used. If you actively receive SNAP and your HIP amount is zero, you have not yet used HIP for the month. Your full monthly cap is still available to you.

Any variety of fruits and vegetables sold by HIP vendors are eligible for HIP, as long as they do not contain added salt, sugar, fat or oil.

Eligible HIP products include fruits and vegetables that are:

• Fresh

• Canned

• Dried

• Frozen

• In seed/seedling form

See HIP Eligible Foods for examples of HIP and non-HIP eligible foods.

Farmers’ Market coupons offer current WIC participants over 4 months old $30 that can be used to buy fresh vegetables and fruits at approved farmers’ markets and farmstands in Massachusetts. These coupons are separate from your regular WIC benefits and cannot be used at the grocery store.

If you are interested in receiving Farmers’ Market coupons, please contact your WIC office for more information on distribution details. This is a first-come, first-served program and the availability of coupons is not guaranteed for everyone who is eligible or signs up.

Check to see if you are eligible for WIC here.

Some markets may be operating differently or have other safety precautions in place, so it’s a good idea to call ahead or check the website so you know what to expect. Remember that you can ask a friend or family member to shop for you.

For more information, about the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, go to the Mass.gov WIC website.

The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides low-income seniors with coupons that can be exchanged for eligible foods (fruits, vegetables, honey, and fresh-cut herbs) at farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs.

For more information and to find out if you are eligible, go here.

To address the confusion surrounding nutrition incentive programs like SNAP and HIP, especially among non-English speakers, MFM is tackling the issue through the "Optimizing Nutrition Incentives at Farmers Markets" project. This initiative, undertaken in partnership with the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Community Foundation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), aims to educate Farmers Market customers about available incentive programs, ensuring they maximize their food access benefits. Utilizing visual communication tools such as graphics and animations, the project aims to provide clear information and answers to common questions. This will alleviate the burden on Market Managers and reduce congestion at market EBT stations. Launched in 2022, the project aims to have a draft prepared by 2024.

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is a state-run program that provides coupons to low-income individuals and families to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets and farm stands. MFM supports and facilitates this program by acting as a bank. Farmers send MFM the FMNP coupons that customers redeemed through them, and MFM verifies and reimburses the farmer. MDAR provides MFM with the funds necessary to administer the coupons through a four-step verification and payment process. In 2022, MFM reimbursed approximately $700,000 of FMNP coupons through this program from July 1st through October 31st. Each coupon is worth $2.50 and can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables. Approximately 450 farms participate across the state.

In 2022, Mass Farmers Markets (MFM) and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) jointly piloted a program to increase awareness of the FMNP program and distribute coupons to WIC participants. The pilot program was rolled out at over 20 different farmers markets in Massachusetts. Over a dozen WIC offices participated in the program, and WIC staff members set up tables at the markets to answer questions and distribute FMNP coupons. The program was well-received by WIC participants, farmers, and market managers. Over 1,000 WIC participants and families were educated about WIC and the FMNP coupon program and over 500 FMNP coupons were distributed.

Good Samaritan Hospital, a facility of the Steward Health Care System, partnered with the Brockton Farmers Market to provide Steward Farmers Market Coupons to their clients for purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables at the market. These coupons jointly boosted customer buying power while also providing much needed financial support to the market. The coupons are worth $5 each, and they can be used to purchase any eligible items at the market. Customers can get Steward Farmers Market Coupons by visiting Good Samaritan Hospital or by contacting the Brockton Farmers Market. Coupons are available to Good Samaritan Hospital patients and employees, as well as to members of the general public. Since its launch in 2015, the program distributed over $100,000 in coupons.

Project Gratitude is a nutrition program founded on Cape Cod by Sustainable CAPE in 2019. The program's goal is to incentivize veterans to purchase fresh food from local farmers markets through a weekly token system. Eligible veterans receive $10 per week in tokens, which they can use to purchase fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods at participating farmers markets. In 2023, the Massachusetts Food Bank (MFM) will be partnering with Project Gratitude to expand the program statewide. MFM plans to provide funding for the program and to help recruit veterans to participate. The program will be administered by Sustainable CAPE, which has a proven track record of running successful nutrition programs.