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Nutrition Assistance
Announcements
Eligibility Expanded to Compact of Free Association (COFA) Citizens
Due to a change in federal law, citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau are potentially eligible for Nutrition and/or Cash Assistance. These citizens must confirm their citizenship and meet all other eligibility factors.
IMPORTANT - Benefit amounts may change for February 2025 following the annual Social Security Administration (SSA) Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)
Due to changes in Social Security benefits starting January 2025, the February 2025 NA benefit amounts for households receiving SSA or SSI benefits may change. Notices will be sent to affected households with new benefit amounts in January.
What Is Nutrition Assistance?
Nutrition Assistance (formerly the Food Stamp Program) is Arizona’s program for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Nutrition Assistance provides eligible households with monthly benefits they can use to purchase nutritious food. By helping families fight food insecurity and meet one of their fundamental needs, they can focus on overcoming barriers to self-sufficiency.
Apply Online
Ready to apply? Get started through Health-e-Arizona Plus
How to Apply
Learn about eligibility, needed information and the process to apply for benefits.
Information We May Need
Find out which information you may need to provide to determine eligibility.
Report a Change
Learn how to report a change to your existing Nutrition Assistance case.
MyFamilyBenefits: How to View Your Case Information
MyFamilyBenefits is a secure website that offers you an easy way to view information about your Nutrition and Cash Assistance benefits from the comfort of your home.
At MyFamilyBenefits, you can:
- View the status of your case and benefit amounts
- Report changes and upload documents
- Choose to go paperless, and receive emails and texts
- View, download, and print notices and proof of eligibility
And more!
Get started with MyFamilyBenefits today.
The Restaurant Meals Program allows certain Nutrition Assistance (NA) participants to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card to purchase prepared meals from participating restaurants. This may also include the deli section of a participating grocery store. This program is available to an NA household if every person in the household meets one or more of the following conditions:
- Has a disability
- Is 60 years of age or older
- Is homeless and does not have a fixed or regular nighttime residence
- The spouse of an NA participant who is eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program and is included in the budgetary unit
List of Restaurants Participating in the Meals Program
What if there is a restaurant I would like to be involved with the Restaurant Meals Program?
Give the manager or owner of the restaurant this flyer about the Restaurant Meals Program for merchants.
I am a restaurant that is interested in participating in the Restaurant Meals Program. What do I need to do?
For more information, see the flyer about the Restaurant Meals Program for merchants.
To get started or to renew participation, download the form Restaurant Meals Program Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Once complete, the MOU and copies of the government photo ID must be sent to the Department of Economic Security Family Assistance Administration by any of the following methods:
Email to: [email protected]
Fax to: 602-256-4856
Mail to:
DBME Systems Administrator/EBT Project Director
P.O.Box 6123, Mail Drop 33I1
Phoenix, Arizona 85005
Do I need a different EBT card to use at a restaurant?
No, if you or your household meets one or more of the conditions listed on the webpage, your EBT card has been enabled to use at participating restaurants.
Do all restaurants participate in the Restaurant Meals Program?
No, participating restaurants are listed on the webpage and updated quarterly. Look for signs that the restaurant accepts EBT.
Do restaurants charge sales tax for meals?
Restaurants should not be charging sales tax when you purchase your meal using your EBT card. You should review your receipts before leaving the restaurant. If you were charged sales tax in error, you should first attempt to resolve this with the restaurant. You also can call the telephone number on the back of your EBT card and open a dispute claim.
Nutrition Assistance recipients can make online purchases for grocery items with authorized SNAP retailers. The USDA Food and Nutrition Services maintains a list of retailers who accept EBT payments for online transactions. Follow the link below and click “Arizona” to find the retailer for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
View frequently asked questions related to SNAP Online Purchasing.
Become a SNAP Internet Retailer
Retailers who are interested in online purchasing for SNAP EBT must meet USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) requirements and obtain authorization to participate. To learn more, visit the FNS Online Purchasing website, and view FNS requirements.
Double Up Food Bucks
Through the Double Up Food Bucks Program, individuals receiving Nutrition Assistance can take home twice as many fruits and vegetables when they use their benefits at select farmers markets, CSAs, farm stands, and corner stores.
Additional Resources
- Double Up Food Bucks is a program that allows current Nutrition Assistance participants an opportunity to receive additional fruits and vegetables.
- The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federally funded program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost. Under TEFAP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) makes commodity foods available to state distributing agencies.
- The Commodity Senior Food Program (CSFP) works to improve the health of low-income persons who are at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with a monthly package of nutritious food at no cost. CSFP foods are purchased by the state from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
- Congregate Meal Programs provide older adults with positive social contacts with other seniors at the meal sites. A congregate meal is a nutritious hot meal provided at least once a day to an eligible participant at a nutrition site, senior center or other group setting. Congregate sites may also offer a variety of health-related services such as transportation, health screening, social service referrals, legal assistance, physical and social activities and volunteer opportunities.
- The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a federal program that works to improve the health of low-income seniors who are at least 60 years of age, income is at or below 185% of the annual poverty income guidelines, or is participating in the Commodity Senior Food Program.
- The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a federal program that works to improve the health of low-income families who are current WIC participants and currently receiving benefits.
- Cash Assistance helps families meet their basic needs for well-being and safety and serves as their path to self-sufficiency. The Cash Assistance program provides temporary cash benefits and supportive services to the neediest of Arizona's children and their families.
- Medical Assistance: Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is Arizona's Medicaid agency that offers health care programs to serve Arizona residents. AHCCCS provides medical insurance coverage to thousands of Arizonans each year. It helps citizens obtain doctor’s office visits, physical exams, immunizations, prenatal care, hospital care and prescriptions they need.
- Unemployment Insurance may be provided to individuals who lost their job through no fault of their own.
- Additional Community Resources are also available for individuals in need.
Publications
For additional documents, brochures and pamphlets related to the Nutrition Assistance program, please visit our Document Center.
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Arizona State Resources
Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other nondiscrimination laws and authorities, ADES does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Persons that require a reasonable modification based on language or disability should submit a request as early as possible to ensure the State has an opportunity to address the modification. The process for requesting a reasonable modification can be found at Equal Opportunity and Reasonable Modification