Texas offers five main public assistance programs through the Health and Human Services Commission: SNAP food benefits, TANF cash assistance, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and WIC nutrition support for women and young children. You apply for most Texas benefits through a single form, either online at YourTexasBenefits.com, by phone at 2-1-1, or at a local HHSC office. Eligibility turns on income, household size, and citizenship or immigration status, and the rules differ meaningfully from one program to the next.
One thing to know up front: Texas did not expand Medicaid, so most adults without children or a disability cannot get state health coverage no matter how little they earn. TANF cash assistance carries a 60-month lifetime cap for adult caretakers. And starting April 1, 2026, SNAP in Texas no longer covers candy or most sweetened drinks.
SNAP Food Benefits
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program loads monthly food benefits onto a Lone Star Card, which works like a debit card at authorized grocery stores and retailers.1Texas Health and Human Services. Lone Star Card SNAP is the largest benefits program in Texas by enrollment. Benefits pay for food only — not alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, or prepared hot meals.
As of April 1, 2026, Texas SNAP recipients cannot use benefits to buy candy or sweetened drinks. Sweetened drinks include any nonalcoholic water-based beverage with five or more grams of added sugar or any amount of artificial sweetener, which covers most sodas, energy drinks, and fruit drinks with less than 50% real juice. Beverages containing milk or milk substitutes, drinks with more than 50% vegetable or fruit juice, and drinks sweetened only with stevia or monk fruit (under five grams of added sugar) are still allowed.2Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Purchase Restrictions The restriction applies to both in-store and online SNAP purchases.
TANF Cash Assistance
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides monthly cash payments to families with children to help with housing, clothing, transportation, and other basic expenses.3USAGov. Welfare Benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Payments load onto the same Lone Star Card used for SNAP. Amounts depend on household size and net income.
Adult caretakers face a 60-month lifetime cap. Every month you receive TANF counts toward that limit, including months received in other states.4Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-2560 – TANF-SP 60-Month Time Limit Texas also offers a One-Time TANF payment of $1,000, available regardless of household size or income to eligible households, plus a separate One-Time TANF for Relatives payment of $1,000 for qualifying relative caregivers.5Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-2320 – Eligibility Dates and Benefit Amounts These are for households that need immediate help but may not qualify for ongoing monthly benefits.
Medicaid and CHIP
Because Texas did not expand Medicaid, adult eligibility is narrow. Parents or caretaker relatives qualify only at roughly 12% of the federal poverty level, and adults with disabilities qualify if they meet Supplemental Security Income standards.6Medicaid. Texas State Profile Childless adults without a disability generally cannot get Texas Medicaid at any income level.
Coverage is broader for pregnant women and children. Pregnant women qualify up to 198% of the federal poverty level.6Medicaid. Texas State Profile CHIP covers uninsured children in families with incomes up to about 201% of the federal poverty level — families who earn too much for children’s Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance.7Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook C-130 – Medical Programs Both programs cover doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital stays, and preventive care.8Medicaid. CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment
WIC
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is separate from SNAP and targets a defined group: pregnant or postpartum women, breastfeeding mothers (up to the infant’s first birthday), infants, and children under five.9Food and Nutrition Service. WIC Eligibility Instead of general grocery money, WIC provides tailored food packages built around specific nutritional needs, including milk, cereal, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and infant formula. The program also includes breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health screening referrals. Eligibility depends on income and nutritional risk, which a health professional assesses at a WIC clinic.
Income and Asset Limits
Each program measures income against the federal poverty level, but the cutoff varies. For 2026, the FPL for a single person is $15,960 and for a family of four is $33,000, with $5,680 added for each additional person.10HealthCare.gov. Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
SNAP applies two income tests. Gross monthly income (before deductions) must be at or below 130% of the FPL, and net monthly income (after allowed deductions for housing, child care, and similar costs) must be at or below 100%. For October 2025 through September 2026, the SNAP limits are:
- 1 person: $1,696 gross / $1,305 net per month
- 2 people: $2,292 gross / $1,763 net
- 3 people: $2,888 gross / $2,221 net
- 4 people: $3,483 gross / $2,680 net
- 5 people: $4,079 gross / $3,138 net
- Each additional person: add $596 gross / $459 net
Assets count too. A SNAP household is ineligible if countable resources (bank accounts and excess vehicle value) exceed $5,000. TANF has a much lower threshold of $1,000 in accessible resources.12Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-1220 – Limits Medicaid and CHIP use modified adjusted gross income rules and do not apply this kind of asset test for most applicants.
Residency and Citizenship
You must live in Texas and intend to stay, but there is no minimum length of residency. Someone who just arrived and plans to remain qualifies.13Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-760 – Verification Requirements Address can be verified with a utility bill, lease or mortgage receipt, Texas driver’s license, school records, voter registration card, employment records, or a piece of mail showing your name and current Texas address.
U.S. citizenship is required for most programs. Certain qualified noncitizens — lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees — may also be eligible, though federal law restricts access for immigrants who do not fall into these categories.14Department of Health and Human Services. Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 Interpretation of Federal Public Benefit HHSC verifies immigration status through federal databases.
Documents to Gather Before You Apply
Have these ready for every household member seeking benefits:
- Social Security card or number for each person on the case
- Recent pay stubs (dated within 60 days), an employer statement, or self-employment records
- The most current statement for all checking and savings accounts
- Proof of address, such as a utility bill, lease, mortgage receipt, or Texas driver’s license
- Bills or receipts for medical and child care expenses, which can offset income during the eligibility calculation
How to Apply
The official form is Form H1010, Texas Works Application for Assistance, and it covers SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and CHIP together.16Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1010 – Texas Works Application for Assistance – Your Texas Benefits You can pick it up at any HHSC benefits office; the agency must provide it the same day you ask. Three submission options:
- Online. Create an account at YourTexasBenefits.com to apply and upload documents.
- By phone. Call 2-1-1 (toll-free 877-541-7905), select your language, and press Option 2 for HHSC. Interpretation is available in more than 150 languages.17Texas Health and Human Services. Contact
- In person or by mail. Bring or send your completed Form H1010 and documents to a local HHSC office or the processing center.
Processing Time and Interviews
Federal rules require HHSC to process a completed SNAP application within 30 calendar days of filing.18eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Application Processing Most applicants have an interview as part of that process, and it is usually done by phone.
Households in severe financial distress can receive expedited SNAP benefits. Under federal law, if you qualify for expedited service, benefits must be on your Lone Star Card within seven calendar days of filing.18eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Application Processing Texas goes further and issues an eligibility decision no later than the workday after the application is filed for expedited cases.19Legal Information Institute. 1 Texas Administrative Code 372.956 – Expedited SNAP Application Process You will receive a written notice by mail with the decision.
Keeping Your Benefits
Approval is not permanent. You must recertify every 6 or 12 months depending on your situation, and HHSC sends a notice before benefits expire. Missing the recertification deadline can stop your benefits and force you to start over with a new application.
Between recertifications, SNAP households generally only need to report a change if income rises above the SNAP gross income limit (130% of the FPL for your household size). Small mid-certification changes do not have to be reported, though you can voluntarily report changes that would raise your benefit. At recertification, HHSC reviews income, household size, expenses, and resources again.
If You Are Denied
You can request a fair hearing when HHSC denies, reduces, or terminates benefits. The deadline is 90 calendar days from either the effective date of the action or the date on the denial notice, whichever is later.20Texas Health and Human Services. Fair Fraud Hearings Handbook 1400 – Submitting a Fair Hearing Request Summary For SNAP, you can challenge your current benefit level at any time during your certification period; the 90-day window does not limit that type of appeal.
Managed care appeals — issues with your Medicaid health plan rather than HHSC directly — follow a different timeline. You have 120 days from the managed care organization’s final determination to request a state fair hearing.20Texas Health and Human Services. Fair Fraud Hearings Handbook 1400 – Submitting a Fair Hearing Request Summary Your denial notice should explain how to appeal. If it does not, call 2-1-1 or 877-541-7905 to request a hearing.
Are Texas Benefits Taxable
SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and CHIP are not taxable income for federal tax purposes. You do not report them on your return, and receiving them does not increase your tax bill or interfere with claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit if you otherwise qualify. IRS Publication 525 confirms welfare and public assistance benefits fall outside taxable income.