FNS Documents & Resources

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

This memorandum provides a reminder to state agencies that under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, all eligible households must have the opportunity to participate in SNAP within 30 days of application or seven days if they are entitled to expedited service.

This letter extends the expiration date for certain flexibilities for WIC state agencies following the Abbott Recall and infant formula shortage. 

USDA's FNS and ACF at the Department of Health and Human Services are aware of increasing reports of benefit theft by criminal actors through EBT card skimming schemes. After discussions with EBT processors and fraud prevention stakeholders, FNS and ACF have identified prevention measures that can be adopted to improve card security while we work towards longer-term strategies.

FNS recognizes that many state agencies may benefit from guidance regarding the existing flexibilities allowable within current FMNP and SFMNP regulations and has compiled some of these flexibilities for state and local agencies to consider.

FNS encourages WIC state agencies to work collaboratively with the vendor community to identify how state agency vendor selection and/or limiting criteria, application periods or policies, WIC authorized food lists, technology requirements, and participant access criteria may impact vendor participation in the WIC program.

This is a letter clarifying public charge policy as it pertains to SNAP participation. The letter was sent to SNAP state commissioners in Jan. 2022.

This is a letter clarifying public charge policy as it pertains to SNAP participation. The letter is jointly signed by FNS and USCIS.

This letter provides key information about a change in the way the Department of Homeland Security is administering the public charge ground of inadmissibility.

This letter is an update to the April 12, 2021 letter that USCIS issued concerning public charge and how it interacts with the food assistance programs, including SNAP.