What is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)?
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What is SNAP?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was formerly called Food Stamps. SNAP is a form of government assistance to help low-income households pay for food. SNAP increases a household's food budget, allowing them to buy healthy foods and still have enough money to pay other bills. The amount of monthly benefits a household gets depends on the household size, income, and expenses.
When you are approved for SNAP, you will get a plastic debit card called an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The EBT card looks like a bank card or credit card. You use your EBT card to pay for your food in the supermarket or other food store. Each month, your benefits are directly deposited into your EBT card account.
Who runs the SNAP program?
SNAP is a federal program, managed by the Department of Agriculture in the U.S. government. The Department of Agriculture gives money to each state to provide benefits for its residents.
In New Mexico, the Income Support Division (ISD) of the Human Services Department (HSD) is in charge of SNAP.
Who is in charge of fraud prevention?
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Human Services Department is in charge of SNAP fraud prevention in New Mexico.
To report SNAP fraud:
People who commit food stamp fraud may be disqualified from getting SNAP for a period of time.
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