The Maine Pine Tree Card is the state’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, issued by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to deliver Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash benefits. It works like a debit card at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and ATMs, with each program’s balance tracked separately on the same piece of plastic.
SNAP funds, formerly called food stamps, can only buy eligible groceries and cannot be withdrawn as cash. TANF funds are cash assistance for families with dependent children and can be withdrawn at ATMs or spent on rent, utilities, clothing, and other household expenses. When you swipe at a register, the terminal pulls from the correct balance based on the items and transaction type.
Who Qualifies
Maine uses broad-based categorical eligibility for SNAP, which sets a more generous income threshold than the federal baseline. Your household’s gross monthly income must fall below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, or your net income after deductions must be below 100% of the poverty level.1My Maine Connection. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Those figures adjust annually. Because of broad-based categorical eligibility, most SNAP applicants face no asset limit, so a car or modest savings account will not disqualify you the way it might in stricter states.2Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility You must live in Maine and apply here.
TANF has tighter rules. It’s available to families with dependent children in the home and to pregnant individuals. Income thresholds are significantly lower than SNAP, there is an asset limit, and recipients generally must cooperate with child support enforcement when applicable. Federal law caps lifetime TANF receipt at 60 months, and recipients typically must participate in work activities or job training to keep benefits flowing.
The ABAWD Work Rule
If you’re between 18 and 54, able to work, and have no dependents, federal rules classify you as an able-bodied adult without dependents. You must work or participate in a work program at least 80 hours a month to keep receiving SNAP beyond three months in any three-year period.3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements Paid work, volunteering, or a state-approved training program all count. If you lose eligibility this way, meeting the 80-hour threshold for any 30-day stretch restores it.
How Much SNAP Pays
Your actual benefit depends on household size, income, and allowable deductions. Most households receive less than the maximum because benefits phase down as income rises. The maximum monthly allotment effective October 1, 2025:4Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- 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 member: $218
How to Apply
You can apply online through the My Maine Connection portal at mymaineconnection.gov, which also lets you upload documents and track your case, or by dropping off a paper application at your local DHHS district office, or by mailing one to the Office for Family Independence.5Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Applications and Forms A caseworker will then conduct a phone or in-person interview to verify your household circumstances and may request additional documents.
Have your paperwork together before you file. The Office for Family Independence needs to verify identity, residency, and income:
- Social Security numbers for every household member and a photo ID for the applicant
- A utility bill, lease, or similar document showing a Maine address
- Recent pay stubs, tax returns, or benefit award letters for all household income sources
- Records of rent or mortgage payments, property taxes, heating costs, childcare, and medical costs for elderly or disabled members
Expense documentation matters more than people realize. Deductions for housing, child care, and medical bills reduce your countable income, which can increase your benefit or push you under a threshold you’d otherwise miss. Bring everything, even if you aren’t sure it counts.
Once approved, your Pine Tree Card arrives by mail within five to seven days.4Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) It shows a zero balance until your scheduled deposit date.
If You Need Food Right Now
Expedited SNAP processing can get benefits onto your card within seven calendar days of your application instead of the standard 30-day window. You generally qualify if your monthly gross income and liquid resources combined fall below your monthly housing costs, or if your household has less than $100 in liquid resources and very little monthly income. The state can issue a preliminary benefit even before you’ve finished the full interview or submitted every document.
When Benefits Load Each Month
SNAP deposits are staggered between the 10th and 14th of each month based on the last digit of the head of household’s birth day:
- Day ends in 0 or 9: benefits on the 10th
- Day ends in 1 or 8: benefits on the 11th
- Day ends in 2 or 3: benefits on the 12th
- Day ends in 4 or 7: benefits on the 13th
- Day ends in 5 or 6: benefits on the 14th
Someone born on March 23rd, for example, would see benefits load on the 12th. Funds usually appear early that morning. Unused SNAP benefits roll over month to month, but any benefits sitting untouched for nine months may be expunged. The state must give you a 30-day notice before permanently removing old funds.6Regulations.gov. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefit Expungement
What You Can Buy With SNAP
SNAP covers most groceries: fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereal, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds or plants that produce food for your household.7Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy? You cannot use SNAP for:
- Alcohol, tobacco, or any product containing cannabis or CBD
- Vitamins, medicines, or supplements (anything with a Supplement Facts label)
- Foods that are hot at the point of sale
- Non-food items like cleaning supplies, paper products, pet food, or personal care products
- Live animals, except shellfish and fish removed from water
The hot-food rule catches people out. A cold deli sandwich qualifies; a hot rotisserie chicken does not. What matters is the temperature at purchase, not whether you plan to heat the food later.
Most grocery stores, supermarkets, and many Maine farmers’ markets accept the card, and a growing number of retailers accept SNAP for online orders.8Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online Delivery fees cannot be paid with SNAP and require a separate payment method.
Using TANF Cash
TANF funds can be withdrawn at participating ATMs or used anywhere the card is accepted for cash transactions. Some ATMs charge surcharges on EBT withdrawals, so look for fee-free machines at your bank or take cash back with a store purchase. Remember that the TANF and SNAP balances are separate on the same card: a food purchase pulls from SNAP, a cash withdrawal pulls from TANF.
Managing Your Card
Every transaction requires a four-digit PIN. When your card arrives, call EBT customer service at 1-800-477-7428 to activate it and choose your PIN. You can call that same number anytime to change it. Avoid obvious combinations like your birth year or repeated digits.
You have three ways to check your balance:
- Call 1-800-477-7428 (24/7)
- Log in at the Maine EBT account portal
- Read the balance printed at the bottom of every transaction receipt
If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, call 1-800-477-7428 right away. The representative will deactivate the old card and send a replacement, usually within several business days. Report quickly, because benefits spent by someone else before you report the card missing generally aren’t reimbursed.
If Your Benefits Are Denied, Cut, or Closed
You can request an administrative hearing (also called a fair hearing) if you believe the department got your case wrong. You generally have 30 days from the date of the notice to file, though deadlines can vary slightly by program, so read your notice carefully.9Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Frequently Asked Questions
Timing has a second consequence. If you request the hearing within the 15-day adverse action notice period (ten days for the notice plus five for mailing), your benefits continue at the current level until a decision is issued.10Legal Information Institute. 10-144 CMR ch. 332, 1-7 – Administrative Hearings Wait past that window and your benefits stop while the appeal is pending. The 15-day clock starts the day the department mails its notice. If you miss the appeal deadline entirely, you may still file late by showing good cause, meaning circumstances beyond your control prevented you from meeting it.
Fraud and Misuse
DHHS investigates EBT fraud through its Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit, which can pursue administrative penalties and criminal charges.11Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit Common violations include failing to report income, misrepresenting who lives in your household, and trafficking (selling your card or letting someone else use it for their own groceries). Penalties for an intentional program violation escalate:12Legal Information Institute. 10-144 CMR ch. 301, 777-2 – Intentional Program Violation (IPV)
- First violation: one-year disqualification from SNAP
- Second violation: two-year disqualification
- Third violation: permanent disqualification
Disqualification applies only to the individual who committed the violation, so other eligible household members can still receive benefits, though the household’s total allotment shrinks. The department pursues repayment of overpaid benefits regardless of whether criminal charges are filed.