How To Apply For Food Stamps In Utah

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded program that offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families. The program is run by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). If you live in this state and need to apply for a Utah Horizon Card, then the information below shows you how to apply for food stamps in Utah. If you have additional questions or concerns about the Utah SNAP program or the EBT application process, please contact the Utah Department of Workforce Services for assistance.

Apply For Utah Food Stamps
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of Utah and fall into one of two groups: (1) those with a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under $2,001, or (2) those with a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under $3,001 who share their household with a person or persons age 60 and over, or with a person with a disability (a child, your spouse, a parent, or yourself). In order to qualify, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:

*For households with more than eight people, add $6,864 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.

To apply for this program, please visit the MyCase homepage. Please call the DWS hotline to speak with a customer service representative: 1-800-331-4341. E-mail inquiries can be sent to: DWS_Constituent_Services@utah.gov

Before applying for the Utah SNAP program, you can see if you qualify using the online pre-screening tool.

Income Deductions
To figure out whether you qualify to receive Food Stamps, the eligibility specialist will add together your household's countable income and then subtract certain deductions. The income after deductions must fall below a certain dollar amount for your household to get Food Stamp benefits. Some examples of income deductions are: 20% of your gross countable income,  a portion of your shelter costs, and certain expenses you pay such as child support.

Resources
Resources such as bank accounts, cash, houses or land you own, and personal property can be counted in determining whether a household is eligible to get Food Stamps. Some resources are counted toward the allowable limit and some are not. For example a car and any other motorized vehicle you own is not counted toward the resource limit. The eligibility specialist can answer questions about your resources and explain the resource policy.

Any household may have up to $2,250 worth of countable resources besides monthly income and still qualify to get Food Stamps. Households may have up to $3,250 worth of countable resources besides monthly income and still qualify for Food Stamps if at least one member is age 60 or older or disabled.

Utah SNAP Work Requirements
Employment & Training (E&T). With some exceptions, those applying for or receiving food stamps must participate in the Employment and Training (E&T) Program in order to continue receiving assistance. The E&T Program helps individuals learn the skills needed to find work and increase household income. Participants are required to complete the following activities online at jobs.utah.gov:

• Register as a job seeker and complete a brief evaluation of personal job search readiness.
• Based on results of the job search readiness evaluation, complete online workshops that cover helpful topics such as resume writing, interviewing and networking.
• Make job contacts and keep an online log of job search progress.

Click here to launch the Food Stamp Employment and Training Webshow.

Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD)
Able-bodied adults without dependent children are exempt from participation for a period of 3 months out of 36 months while receiving food stamp assistance. Able-bodied adults are considered healthy adults without a doctor's diagnosis of disability. In order to continue receiving food stamps beyond 3 months, an Able-bodied adult must meet one of the following criteria:

• Meet a Federal work requirement exemption
• Be employed for at least 20 hours per week or an average of 80 hours per month
• Be enrolled in a training program for at least 20 hours per week
• A combination of employment and enrolled in a training program for at least 20 hours per week

Non-citizens
Even if you are not a U.S. citizen, you may be able to receive food stamps. Even if some people in your household do not qualify, there may be others in the household who do qualify to receive food stamps.