If you live in Texas and need immediate food assistance help, you may be eligible for Emergency Food Stamps in Texas. In this article, we will walk you through the steps on how you can get expedited SNAP in Texas in as little as five days.
In addition, we will provide you with everything you need to know about Texas Emergency Food Stamps including eligibility requirements and how to apply for Emergency Food Stamps in Texas.
After that, we will go over what happens after you are approved for expedited SNAP benefits.
In this article, we will cover:
- What is Texas Emergency Food Stamps?
- Who qualifies for Emergency Food Stamps in Texas?
- Texas SNAP Eligibility & Income Limit
- How to apply for Texas Emergency Food Stamps
- Food Banks in Texas
What is Texas Emergency Food Stamps?
The Texas Emergency Food Stamps Program, also known as expedited SNAP provides Texas households facing an emergency or life-threatening situation with food stamp benefits within seven days.
Expedited (emergency) food stamps are available faster than regular food benefits, which typically take 30 days to receive.
If you qualify, you can get emergency food stamps in Texas within 5-7 business days from the day you apply.
How does Expedited SNAP work?
All expedited SNAP applications are screened using the expedited screening questions on Form H1010, Texas Works Application for Assistance – Your Texas Benefits.
Texas HHS staff screen all applications for Emergency Food Stamps in Texas at the local office.
Vendor staff screen applications sent to the Document Processing Center (DPC) by fax or mail.
An automated system screens any application submitted through YourTexasBenefits.com.
Applicants who meet the test for expedited services are entitled to:
- Postpone all verification until after receiving the first month’s benefit, except:
- get benefits the same day they apply, if possible, but no later than the next business day.
Exceptions: In the following situations, applicants may not get benefits in this time frame:
- Applicants in a drug and alcohol (D&A) treatment or a group living arrangement (GLA) facility.
- Process these applications to allow the resident an opportunity to receive benefits by the seventh day after the application date.
- Joint SNAP and SSI applicants released from public institutions.
- The Centralized Benefit Services (CBS) unit processes these applications to allow the person an opportunity to receive benefits by the fifth day after release from the institution.
Who qualifies for Emergency Food Stamps in Texas?
To be eligible for expedited processing of SNAP benefits, your household must be eligible for regular food stamps and meet one of the following requirements:
- Resources of $100 or less, and a monthly income less than $150 a month.
- Combined resources and monthly income must be less than your most recent monthly expenses for rent/mortgage and utilities.
- Your family includes a migrant or seasonal farmworker who has $100 or less in resources and very little income or income has terminated.
What are the Income Limits for SNAP in Texas?
The most important eligibility requirement when applying for food stamps in Texas is household income. process and supply the requested documentation at a later date.
Below is the Texas SNAP income limits for 2021-2022 by household size.
Please use the chart below to determine if your household income meets the TX Food Stamps Income Limits.
| Texas SNAP Income Eligibility Standards for Fiscal Year 2022 | |
| Effective October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022 | |
| Family size | Maximum Gross Monthly Income |
| 1 | $1,775 |
| 2 | $2,396 |
| 3 | $3,020 |
| 4 | $3,644 |
| 5 | $4,268 |
| For each additional person, add: | $625 |
For more help determining if you are eligible for Texas food stamps, read our complete guides on the Texas SNAP Eligibility or Income Limits.
How will I receive my SNAP Benefits?
If you are approved for SNAP benefits, your monthly benefit amount will be deposited electronically onto an Electronic Transfer Benefit (EBT) card.
The Texas EBT Card, also known as the Lone Star Card, works just like a normal debit card.
Once you are approved for benefits, the Texas Lone Star Card will be mailed directly to your house.
Your Texas Lone Star EBT Card will be sent via USPS First Class Mail.
It will look similar to the image displayed below:
EBT cards can be used at a variety of stores throughout Texas to purchase eligible food items.
Additionally, you can purchase groceries online using your Texas SNAP EBT card, and have them delivered through the following grocery stores:
- ALDI
- Amazon
- Brookshire’s Food and Pharmacy
- FRESH by Brookshire’s
- H-E-B
- Joe V’s Smart Shop
- Spring Market
- Super 1 Foods
- Walmart
Find out all the places where you can shop with the Texas EBT Card.
How Much Will I Get in Texas SNAP?
To find out how much you will receive in Texas SNAP benefits, use the chart below.
The chart displays the Maximum SNAP Allotment Amount for your household size.
The 2021 maximum SNAP allotments for the District of Columbia and all states other than Alaska and Hawaii are as follows:
| Household Size | Maximum Monthly Benefit, Fiscal Year 2022 |
Estimated Average Monthly Benefit, Fiscal Year 2022 |
| 1 | $250 | $175 |
| 2 | $459 | $334 |
| 3 | $658 | $520 |
| 4 | $835 | $638 |
| 5 | $992 | $748 |
| 6 | $1,190 | $869 |
| 7 | $1,316 | $941 |
| 8 | $1,504 | $1,137 |
| Each additional person | +$188 |
How do I apply for Texas SNAP Benefits?
If you have reviewed the Texas SNAP Eligibility Guidelines and believe you may qualify for EBT benefits, the next step is to submit your Texas SNAP application.
There are 3 ways you can apply for food stamps in Texas:
Option 1 – Apply online
You can apply online through the Your Texas Benefits Portal – as shown in the image below.
If you have an account, you can log in or create Your Texas Benefits Account. Click here to be taken to the website.
The website should look like the image shown below:
Option 2 – Apply at HHS Office Near You
You can apply in person at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHS) office near you. Click here to locate an HHS office.
Option 3 – Download Texas Food Stamps Application
You can download an application, complete it, and mail it to your county HHS office or submit it in person.
For help on how to apply for Texas Emergency Food Stamp benefits, follow the instructions provided below.
How to Apply for Texas Emergency Food Stamps
Here are the step-by-step instructions to apply for Emergency Food Stamps in Texas.
Step 1 – Print the Application
First, you want to print out the application. After that, look over all the information to make sure it is correct.
You can access the Texas Emergency Food Stamps Application here.
Step 2 – Complete your Application Information
Sign and date the application on the first page.
Step 3 – Submit your Application
Fax your application and a copy of your photo ID to 1-877-HHSC-TEX or 1-877-447-2839.
Alternatively, you can take your application and documents to your local HHS benefits office.
Health and Human Services offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To find a Texas HHS office near you, call 2-1-1 or click visit the YourTexasBenefits website.
Once on the website, click the “Find an office” link at the bottom of the page.
Step 4 – Complete your Interview
If you fax the application, a caseworker will call you by the end of the next workday to set up an interview appointment at your local HHSC benefits office.
You may request a telephone interview if it is a hardship for you or your spouse to attend an in-person interview.
Step 5 – Wait for Notification
If your family is eligible for emergency SNAP benefits, you will receive a notice with instructions.
These instructions will tell you how to start using your benefits. You will receive them by the end of the following business day after you submit the application.
Step 6 – Submit the Verification Documents
In order to continue receiving SNAP benefits, you will be requested to submit additional documentation about the income, resources, and expenses of people in your household.
The caseworker will let you know how soon this information must be provided and what information is required.
Step 7 – Complete the Recertification
Re-certification: At the end of your certification period, HHSC will send you information about how you can continue receiving benefits.
What If I Have No Food?
Food Banks in Texas
To find a Texas food bank or food pantry near you, visit the Feeding Texas website.
Once you are on the website, scroll down and enter your Zip Code into the section labeled “Get Help.”
The Feeding Texas network is the largest hunger-relief organization in Texas.
Together with 21 member food banks, they reach over 5 million Texans annually with food and resources.
There are Texas food banks and pantries in 254 Texas counties ready and available to help meet your immediate nutritional needs.
Expedited SNAP in Texas Summary
We hope our post on Emergency Food Stamps in Texas and expedited SNAP was helpful to you! If you found this article helpful, please share it using the “Share this” button below.
If you have additional questions about Texas Food Stamps or Texas EBT Card, please let us know in the comments section below. We’re here to help!
Be sure to check out our other articles about Texas SNAP and EBT, including:
Extra Food Stamp Benefits in Texas
Texas EBT Deposit Schedule – 2022
How to get more Food Stamps in Texas
Texas Food Stamp Calculator for 2022
YourTexasBenefits Login Help
Texas EBT Card FAQs
