Getting Started With SNAP Food Assistance Benefits

Understanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — often referred to as SNAP or “food stamps” — can feel overwhelming, especially when we’re worried about where our next meal will come from.

We’re here to help. This page shares clear information and simple tools to help you apply for SNAP and keep nourishing food on the table for you and your family.

This information is for people who live in Oregon.

[Click here for information about food benefits in Washington.]

What are SNAP Benefits?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a government-funded program for purchasing food when income is low. Benefits are loaded onto what is called an EBT card, some also refer to it as the “Oregon Trail Card”. The card acts the same as a debit card, but the money can only be spent on food products. You use your EBT card at stores, farmers markets and food co-ops that accept SNAP, and swipe the card at the register when you pay. Click here to find stores that accept SNAP by ZIP code.

How do SNAP benefits work?

Each month, SNAP benefits are added to your EBT card. If you do not use all your benefits right away, the money stays on your card for up to one year from the date they're added.

The amount of SNAP you get depends on:

• Household income
• The number of people in your household
• Other factors

You will get details about your benefits after your application is approved.

Extra help buying fruits and vegetables

Many stores and farmers markets offer Double Up Food Bucks.

If you use SNAP, this program can match up to $20 each day to help you buy locally grown fruits and vegetables.

What can I buy with SNAP

SNAP can be used to buy:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Meat, poultry, and fish

• Dairy products

• Breads and cereals

• Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic drinks

• Seeds and plants that produce food

SNAP cannot be used to buy:

• Alcohol or tobacco

• Food and drinks with cannabis/marijuana or CBD

• Vitamins

• Live animals

• Pre-prepared hot foods

• Pet foods

• Non-edible products

Need food help beyond SNAP?

• To find other ways to get food assistance beyond SNAP, go to Food Resources in Oregon.

• To find free food near you now, go to OregonFoodFinder.org – available in 19 languages.

Who can get SNAP?

To qualify for SNAP in Oregon, you must:

• Be a qualifying resident of Oregon,
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen, and
• Make less than a certain amount of money. This amount depends on the number of people in your household — the people you share your groceries with. Check out the table below for details.

Who may not qualify for SNAP?

Unfortunately, many people are excluded from SNAP. Click on the following links to find out more about eligibility:

• Immigrants, refugees, and other non-citizens

• People subject to work requirements and time limits

• Students in higher education

Need Legal Help? Call the Oregon Public Benefits Hotline (1-800-520-5292).

Legal Aid programs throughout Oregon help low income people with Safety Net benefits, including SNAP. They can also answer questions about how immigration status affects eligibility for public benefits. The Oregon Public Benefits hotline is open Monday through Thursday every week.

Programs like SNAP are incredibly important to ensuring we all have access to nourishing food. Yet decades of experience tell us that food assistance alone isn’t enough to truly end hunger for good. That’s why we work to change the policies and systems that cause hunger in our communities. Sign up for action alerts to learn how you can get involved in the fight to eliminate hunger at its roots.

It is easy to feel isolated when experiencing hunger. We are a community of millions of individuals and each of us has a unique story to share. Will you share your experience to help others know they are not alone?