How do I apply?

First, fill out the application.

There are several ways to get an application:

• Click here to get an application
• Pick up an application at your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office. Click here to find your county’s DSS office
• Call your local DSS office, and ask them to mail you an application

If you can’t fill out the whole application, please fill out your name, address, and signature on the first page. If you need help filling out the application, please let someone at the DSS office know.
 
Second, return the application to your county’s DSS office by mail, fax, in person, or by an authorized representative.

An authorized representative is someone you know and trust to help you. You or your authorized representative can complete the application and return it to the DSS office. The sooner the DSS office gets your application, the sooner you will know if you are able to get benefits.

Third, talk with a FNS caseworker.

The Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) caseworker must interview you to see if you can get benefits. If you cannot go to the DSS office, call and ask if you can talk to a caseworker by phone. You can also send an authorized representative to the interview. An authorized representative is someone you know and trust to help you.

At the interview, you will need to show the FNS caseworker:

• Proof of who you are, such as driver’s license, social security cards, or alien papers
• Proof of your address, such as mortgage statement or rental agreement
• Proof of any child care costs
• Proof of what you pay for child support
• Proof of money you got in the past 30 days, such as check stubs or a letter from the social security office

If you can’t bring everything, come to the interview anyway. The caseworker will help you get what you need.

If you are eligible, the amount of benefits you get will depend on the number of people in your household and your household’s income. The most you can get, if you have no income, is listed in the table below.