How to Get Food Stamps for the Elderly in Texas

Texans aged 60 and older can get food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and a single senior with gross monthly income at or below $2,152 will generally qualify.¹ The maximum benefit for a one-person household in fiscal year 2026 is $298 per month, though most seniors receive less once their Social Security and pension income is factored in.² Texas also runs a streamlined track for older adults called the Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP), which uses a shorter form, skips the renewal interview, and keeps you certified for three years instead of the standard six months.³

Who Qualifies as a Senior Household

TSAP is the easiest route for most older Texans, but it has a strict household test. Every person in the household must be at least 60 years old, receiving disability payments, or some combination of both, and no one in the household can have earned income from a job.³ A retired couple on Social Security fits. A grandparent who lives with an adult child who works does not.

Seniors who don’t fit the TSAP box can still apply for regular SNAP. The eligibility rules and benefit amounts are the same; only the paperwork and recertification cycle differ.

Income Limits

Texas treats most SNAP applicants as “categorically eligible,” meaning that if your gross monthly income falls at or below 165 percent of the federal poverty level, you meet the income test and the state waives the asset limit entirely.⁴ Your savings, your car, and other resources are not counted against you.

The current gross monthly income caps are:¹

1 person: $2,152
2 people: $2,909
3 people: $3,665
4 people: $4,421
5 people: $5,177
6 people: $5,934
Each additional person: add $757

Gross income means everything coming in before any deductions: Social Security, pensions, VA benefits, interest, annuity payments. If your gross income is over the cap, you may still qualify under the standard federal rules, which test net income against 100 percent of poverty after deductions are applied. Households that go through that standard path face a countable resource limit of $4,500 in cash and bank balances for elderly or disabled applicants.⁵

Deductions That Raise Your Benefit

Qualifying for SNAP is only half the picture. The actual check depends on your net income after deductions, and seniors have access to two deductions that often add significant dollars to the monthly allotment.

Medical Expenses

If you’re 60 or older or disabled, out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 per month that insurance doesn’t cover come off your countable income.⁶ Qualifying expenses are broad: prescription drugs, dental work, doctor visits, health insurance premiums, Medicare premiums, hearing aids, eyeglasses, dentures, and transportation to medical appointments all count.⁷ If you spend $185 a month on medical costs, the state deducts $150 from your income for benefit purposes. Keep every receipt. Many seniors leave money on the table because they don’t realize mileage to the pharmacy or the cost of a new pair of glasses counts.

Shelter Costs

Every household gets a flat standard deduction — $209 per month for one to three people in fiscal year 2026, $223 for a household of four, and higher amounts for larger families.⁸ On top of that, housing costs (rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities) that exceed half of your income after other deductions produce a shelter deduction. For most households this deduction is capped; for elderly and disabled households it is not.⁵ A senior with high rent or heavy utility bills can see a meaningful benefit boost from this rule alone.

How Much You’ll Receive

SNAP takes the maximum allotment for your household size and subtracts 30 percent of your net monthly income. The maximum allotments for fiscal year 2026 are:²

1 person: $298
2 people: $546
3 people: $785
4 people: $994
5 people: $1,183
6 people: $1,421
7 people: $1,571
8 people: $1,789
Each additional person: add $218

Only households with net income of zero after deductions receive the full amount. A one- or two-person household that qualifies but whose calculated benefit falls below $24 still receives $24 as a minimum. That floor matters: it keeps you active in the program without reapplying.

What to Gather Before You Apply

Having everything in hand before you start speeds up the process and cuts down on follow-up calls from a caseworker:

Photo ID or birth certificate for each household member, plus Social Security numbers for everyone.
Proof of all income: Social Security award letters, pension statements, VA letters, bank statements showing interest.
Housing paperwork: lease or rent receipt, mortgage statement, property tax bill, recent utility bills.
Medical expense records: insurance and Medicare premium notices, prescription receipts, dental and vision bills, and a log of trips to medical appointments. These directly drive your benefit amount.
Proof of a Texas address.

The application form itself is Form H1010, the Texas Works Application for Assistance, and it covers both standard SNAP and TSAP.⁹ The state figures out which track you fall into based on the information you provide.

How to Apply

Three ways to file:

Online at YourTexasBenefits.com. You can complete the form, upload documents, and get a confirmation number the same day.
By mail to HHSC, P.O. Box 149027, Austin, TX 78714-9027.¹⁰
In person at a local HHSC benefits office.

After the application is received, HHSC schedules an interview to verify the details. For elderly applicants the interview is usually done by phone, so you don’t have to travel. Federal law requires the state to process your case and issue benefits within 30 days of the filing date.¹¹ Once approved, your Lone Star Card arrives by mail, and you’ll set a PIN to activate it.

Faster Benefits If You’re in Crisis

If you can’t wait 30 days, you may qualify for expedited processing that delivers benefits within seven calendar days of applying.¹¹ You’re eligible in the month you apply if either of the following is true:

Your gross monthly income is below $150 and your liquid resources (cash plus bank balances) are $100 or less.
Your monthly rent, mortgage, and utility costs are greater than your combined gross income and liquid resources.

Expedited screening is supposed to happen automatically, but say so when you apply. Flagging it yourself reduces the chance that your file sits in the standard queue by mistake.

What the Lone Star Card Buys

Your Lone Star Card works like a debit card at authorized grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and some online retailers. Eligible items include fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, snack foods, seeds and plants that grow food, and non-alcoholic beverages. Soda and candy count, even though many applicants assume they don’t.¹²

SNAP cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, vitamins or supplements, pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, or hot foods prepared at the point of sale. Items with a “Supplement Facts” label instead of a “Nutrition Facts” label are also excluded.¹²

One boundary worth knowing: some states let elderly SNAP recipients buy prepared meals at participating restaurants through the federal Restaurant Meals Program. Texas does not participate.¹³ If cooking is a challenge, your benefits still only cover unprepared grocery items.

Keeping Your Benefits

Once you’re receiving SNAP, you have an ongoing obligation to report certain changes. Most households only need to report when gross monthly income exceeds 130 percent of the federal poverty level for two consecutive months, or when lottery or gambling winnings exceed $4,250. Address changes and ordinary shifts in housing costs during your certification period usually don’t need to be reported.¹⁴

When a reportable change does happen, you have 10 days to notify the state.¹⁴ You can report through YourTexasBenefits.com, by calling 2-1-1, or in person at a local office. Missing a required report can lead to an overpayment you’ll have to pay back or, in some cases, disqualification.

Finally, protect the card itself. EBT skimming and phishing have hit SNAP recipients across the country, and federal reimbursement for benefits stolen after December 20, 2024, is no longer available. Never share your PIN, change it from time to time, and check your balance regularly through the Lone Star Card customer service line or the YourTexasBenefits portal. If you spot a transaction you didn’t make, report it to your local HHSC office right away.

1
Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Food Benefits
2
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
3
Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP) for SNAP Food Benefits
4
Texas Health and Human Services. B-470 Categorically Eligible Households
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Special Rules for the Elderly or Disabled
6
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Medical Expenses Handbook
7
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.9
8
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
9
Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1010 Texas Works Application for Assistance – Your Texas Benefits
10
Texas Health and Human Services. Benefits Application Next Steps
11
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Application Processing Timeliness
12
Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
13
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program
14
Texas Health and Human Services. B-620 Reporting Requirements