How To Apply For Alaska Food Stamps

View the information below if you are interested in applying for food stamps in Alaska. It is important that you have all the documentation and information needed so the application process is not delayed. If you still have questions or issues about applying for food stamps, known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), then you can call the Alaska SNAP hotline at 907-465-3347. The department that handles this program is called the Alaska Division of Public Assistance.

The Division of Public Assistance handles the Alaska Food Stamp program. The amount of food stamps a household receives each month depends on their countable income and size of the household. Eligible households will be able to use their Alaska Quest card to purchase authorized food products from stores statewide that accept EBT cards. All eligible applicants will be required to pass income and asset tests. The gross monthly income test is based on 130% of the current Alaska poverty standard. Alaska has special rules that allow for higher Food Stamp benefits in rural areas, and the use of benefits to purchase certain hunting and fishing subsistence supplies.

Before you apply, you can use their online calculator to determine if you are eligible to receive food stamps. To download an application so you can fill it out, click here. You can also apply online using their ARIES system. Your benefit start date begins when they receive your completed application. A personal interview is required before they can determine if you are eligible for assistance. You may schedule an interview at the Public Assistance office or with your local Fee Agent. If you cannot attend an interview in person, contact the Public Assistance office so other arrangements can be made. Your application will be denied if you do not attend an interview within 30 days.

Alaska food stamp eligiblity requirements

Applicants must be living in the State of Alaska to receive Food Stamp benefits from Alaska. There are no specific age limits to receive these benefits. Parents and their children ages 21 or younger living together are considered one household. Minors who apply on their own must be living without their parents. Individuals living together and who purchase and prepare food together are treated as one household.

A food stamp applicant must be a U.S citizen, a U.S. National, or a qualified alien to qualify for these benefits. Some legal immigrants are ineligible, however dependents of an ineligible immigrant are often eligible. All household members must have a SSN or proof of having applied for one.

To receive benefits, most able-bodied people between 16 and 59 years old must register for work, participate in the Employment & Training Program if offered, accept offers of employment, and cannot quit a job. Strikers must be resource and income eligible before the day of the strike. Majority of college students need to working half time, enrolled in work-study, caring for young dependents, or receiving Temporary Assistance. Individuals who have a Federal or State felony conviction for drug-related offenses may be eligible if they meet certain requirements. Individuals disqualified for fraud are ineligible for one year for the first offense, two years for the second offense, and permanently for the third. Dependents of disqualified or ineligible individuals may be eligible.

The asset limit is $2,250 for majority of households and $3,500 for households containing a member who is disabled or 60 years or older. Not counted as assets are:

• The home and its lot
• Household goods
• Income producing property
• Real estate that is up for sale
• Cash value of life insurance
• Individual retirement accounts
• College savings plans
• Personal property
• Vehicles with equity value under $1,500
• Other vehicles not counted are those used for family transportation, to go to and from work, to produce income, for subsistence hunting and fishing, as the household's home, to transport a disabled household member, and to carry the household's primary source of heating fuel or water

Countable assets may include:

• Cash on hand
• Money in checking/savings accounts
• Certificates of deposit
• Stocks
• Bonds
• Property not up for sale
• Lump-sum payments

The Alaska food stamp program does not count scholarships, grants and loans used for tuition and fees, reimbursements, Native dividends, heating assistance, earnings of children under age 18 who are in school, and loans. Countable income may include:

• Wages
• Self-employment
• Public assistance benefits
• Unemployment benefits
• Worker's compensation
• Child support
• Pensions
• Social security
• SSI
• Senior Benefits payments

The food stamp benefits program rules allow income deductions. This includes:

• A 20% deduction on earnings
• A standard deduction of $273 given to households with one to five members and $285 to households with six or more members
• A deduction for dependent care costs
• Medical expenses over $35 for elderly or disabled household members
• A shelter/utility deduction not to exceed $854 for most households
• There is no limit on shelter/utility deductions for households that contain an elderly or disabled individual

Monthly gross/net income limits

The amount of benefits you receive will depend on a household's size, net income, and location of residence. Generally, the larger the household or the lower the net income the higher amount of food stamp benefits you can receive. Also some rules do allow households in some rural areas to receive a higher benefit.

Maximum Monthly Food Stamp Benefits