A-230, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

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A-231 Who Is Included

Revision 25-3; Effective July 1, 2025

SNAP

The following people must be certified as a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) household if they live together:

  • A person under 22 living with their natural, adoptive or stepparents.
    • Parents and children are considered living together even when they are away from home for employment or educational purposes and return home at least one day a month. This includes college students who are eligible for SNAP.
    • Consider a person 22 starting the month they turn 22.  
    • When determining if a person is a required household member, consider the following:
      • The parent-child relationship terminates when parental rights are terminated.
      • The stepparent and stepchild relationship terminates when the marriage between the parent and stepparent terminates, either by death or divorce.
      • When DFPS places a child in foster care, the foster child is considered under parental control of the foster parent. If the foster child's parent moves into the home, the parent, child and foster parent must all be included in the SNAP household.
      • If the parents of a child do not live together and the child lives with each parent part of the month, the child can be certified with either parent. If both parents apply, then certify the child with the parent who provides more meals for the child.
      • A parent or child living with a SNAP-CAP recipient can apply separately. Certify the child as the SNAP head of household.
  • A child under 18 and any nonparent adult household member who has parental control over the child.
    • A child not under parental control may apply separately if the child purchases and prepares food separately.
    • Consider children 18 years old, starting the month they turn 18.
    • Even if under parental control of a nonparent household member, the following exceptions apply:
      • A foster parent or caregiver can choose to include or exclude a foster care, adoption assistance or permanency care assistance (PCA) payment recipient as a household member in their SNAP certified group.
      • Households with more than one recipient can choose to include some foster care or PCA recipients while excluding others, even if the foster care or PCA recipients are related to each other or related to the foster parent or caregiver.
      • A foster care or PCA recipient who is excluded from their foster parents or caregivers SNAP certified group is not eligible to participate as a separate SNAP household or in another SNAP household.
      • The household may consider a foster child as a boarder instead of a household member.
      • A child under 18 who purchases and prepares food separately can apply separately if they are:
        • married and living with the spouse;
        • emancipated; or
        • not financially or otherwise dependent on another member of the household.
      • A child under 18 living with a SNAP-CAP recipient can apply separately. Certify the minor child as the SNAP head of household.
  • Spouses. Consider spouses as living together when one spouse leaves the home for employment or educational purposes and returns home at least one day a month.
    • A spouse living with a SNAP-CAP recipient can apply separately,
    • Consider the following for a same-sex marriage. If the couple married:
      • before June 26, 2015, the marriage date is considered June 26, 2015; or
      • on or after June 26, 2015, the marriage date is the date the marriage occurred.

Related Policy

Noncommercial Roomer/Boarder Payments, A-1323.4.3
Foster care and Permanency Care Assistance (PCA) Payments, A-1326.4
Students in Higher Education, B-410
Household Composition, B-475.3

A-232 Who Is Not Included

Revision 15-4; Effective October 1, 2015

A-232.1 Nonmembers

Revision 22-1; Effective January 1, 2022 

SNAP

The following are not included in a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-certified group:

  1. Roomers — Certify a roomer who pays for lodging but not food as a separate household unless the person meets one of the three categories of who is included in a SNAP household, if they live together.
  2. Live-in attendants — Certify a live-in attendant as a separate household, unless the person meets one of the three categories of who to include in a SNAP household, if they live together.
  3. Boarders — Boarders in noncommercial boarding houses cannot receive SNAP separate from the household they live with. Boarders who live in a commercial boarding house cannot participate in SNAP. Note: A foster parent or caretaker has the option to include or exclude a foster child or adult as a SNAP household member.  
  4. Ineligible students — Students in higher education who do not meet the student eligibility criteria.
  5. New household members — Do not add new household members certified in another household to the new EDG until they are removed from the previous EDG. Exception: Residents in shelters for battered persons may receive two allotments in the same month, if the original benefits issued to the former household included the battered persons, the children and the abuser.
  6. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Combined Application Project (SNAP-CAP) participants — Certify people living with an active SNAP-CAP participant as a separate household.
  7. Institutional residents — Residents who are offered more than half their meals from a facility that is not an approved institution. 

Note: Residents of institutions such as homeless shelters, drug and alcohol treatment (D&A) or group living arrangement (GLA) facilities, or family violence shelters are potentially eligible for SNAP, if it is an approved institution. These residents may be certified separately, regardless of how they purchase and prepare meals with other residents. The resident’s SNAP household still includes mandatory required SNAP household members, if they live together.

Common examples of institutions are hospitals, nursing homes, public or private homes for persons with a disability, establishments for delinquents and young offenders, group homes for children, penal and correctional institutions, jails, homeless shelters, and students living in a school dormitory where most meals are provided.

Foster placement agencies place some foster children or adults in homes or facilities other than foster parent homes, and are cared for by people who are employees of, or contract with placement agencies. Such facilities usually house multiple foster children or adults. Foster children or adults who reside in these unapproved institutions rather than in the foster parent’s home, are considered institutionalized and cannot receive SNAP.

Related Policy

Applications from Residents of a Homeless Shelter, A-116.2
Who Is Included, A-231
Noncommercial Roomer/Boarder Payments, A-1323.4.3
Foster Care and Permanency Care Assistance (PCA) Payments, A-1326.4
Students in Higher Education, B-410
Ineligible Students, B-413
Drug and Alcohol Treatment (D&A) or Group Living Arrangement (GLA) Facilities, B-440
Residents in Family Violence Shelters, B-450
Participation Twice in Same Month, B-454
Prepared Meal Services, B-460
Household Composition, B-475.3
Determining Whether a Person Who Resides in a Facility Is Institutionalized, B-490

A-232.2 Disqualified People

Revision 26-3; Effective July 1, 2026

SNAP

The following people would otherwise be required SNAP household members but are disqualified, and cannot participate during their disqualification period. However, the disqualified person’s circumstances, income, and resources are considered in determining the household's eligibility and benefit allotment. 

Fugitives

People who:

  • are fleeing to avoid prosecution of or confinement for a felony criminal conviction; or 
  • a court found them in violation of federal or state probation or parole.

People with a felony drug conviction

A person with a felony drug conviction, not deferred adjudication, in Texas or another state occurring Sept. 1, 2015 or after. The conviction must be for the possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance per 102(6) of the Controlled Substance Act [21 USC 802(6)]. A person with a felony drug conviction who:

  • violates a condition of parole or community supervision, incurs a two-year SNAP disqualification; or
  • is convicted of a subsequent felony drug offense in Texas or another state while receiving SNAP, incurs a permanent SNAP disqualification.

Accept the person's statement as verification of a felony drug conviction.

When electronic data sources show the person was convicted Sept.1, 2015 or after, for an offense involving a controlled substance, discuss the situation with the person and:

  • if they claim not to be the person on the report, but identifying information on the report such as name, date of birth and physical description lead staff to believe using the prudent person principle that the report is correct; or
  • if the person disagrees with other information provided in the report such as the type of offense or if it was a felony or misdemeanor conviction. 

If unable to clear the discrepancy between the household’s statement and the electronic data sources, staff must: 

  • document the person's response in TIERS Case Comments;
  • proceed with the appropriate case action without the information on criminal history report;
  • contact the Texas Office of Inspector General (OIG) by emailing the OIG Benefits Program Integrity (BPI) mailbox; and
  • document the reason for contacting OIG BPI in case comments. 

The assigned OIG BPI investigator provides the information by email once OIG BPI receives information to clear the discrepancy. Staff responsible for processing this task must document the results of the OIG BPI's findings in TIERS Case Comments. If applicable, staff enter information in the Individual Demographic-Conviction/Rehabilitation page. File an overpayment referral, if appropriate.

Intentional Program Violation (IPV)

People disqualified for an IPV in Texas or another state.

Noncooperation with SNAP Employment and Training (E&T)

People disqualified for failing to cooperate with E&T requirements.

Noncooperation with Social Security number (SSN) requirements

People disqualified for failing to cooperate with SSN requirements.

Ineligible Alien

People who do not have eligible alien status to receive benefits.

SNAP Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents ABAWD Work Requirement

ABAWDs who have received their initial three months of SNAP benefits and who do not meet the ABAWD work requirement.

Related Policy 

Prudent Person Principle, A-137
Absence of Proof of Alien Status, A-313
Qualified Alien Status Eligibility Charts, A-340
Failure to Comply, A-420
Disqualified Members, A-1362
Noncooperation with E&T, A-1844
ABAWD Work Requirement, A-1940
After the Three Months of Time-Limited SNAP Eligibility, A-1951
Filing an Overpayment Referral, B-770
IPV Disqualification Penalties, B-912