The Texas SNAP application PDF, Form H1010 (Texas Works Application for Assistance), is available for free on the Texas Health and Human Services website. Download it, print it, fill it out by hand, and send it back to HHSC by mail, fax, online upload, or in person. The same form also applies for TANF cash assistance and Medicaid, so one packet can cover more than one program.1Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1010, Texas Works Application for Assistance – Your Texas Benefits
Where to Download Form H1010
HHSC posts the English H1010 and the Spanish H1010-S as downloadable PDFs, both routed through YourTexasBenefits.com.1Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1010, Texas Works Application for Assistance – Your Texas Benefits Some browsers do not display the file cleanly, so if the form looks broken in your browser window, save it to your computer and open it in Adobe Reader.
No internet or printer? Pick up a paper copy at your nearest HHSC benefits office, or call 2-1-1 and ask them to mail one to you.
What to Gather Before You Fill It Out
Applications stall most often because a document is missing. Pull everything together before you sit down with the form, and collect it for every person in the household, not only the applicant.
- Photo ID for the primary applicant: Texas driver’s license, DPS ID card, or another government-issued photo ID.
- Social Security numbers for every household member applying for benefits.
- Proof of citizenship or immigration status: U.S. birth certificate, passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or, for non-citizens, an I-551 resident card, I-94, or other USCIS documents.
- Income proof: pay stubs from the last 30 days, an employer letter, Social Security award letters, unemployment statements, or child support records.
- Shelter costs: lease or mortgage statement, property tax bill, and utility bills for electricity, gas, water, and phone.
- Other expenses: dependent care receipts and out-of-pocket medical costs for anyone in the household who is 60 or older or disabled.2Texas Health and Human Services. Benefits Application Next Steps
Medical expenses are worth more attention than most people give them. If someone in your household is elderly or disabled, every dollar of medical cost above $35 per month lowers your countable income and raises your benefit. Pharmacy receipts, copays, medical equipment, and transportation to appointments all count.
Filling Out the Form
Use black or blue ink and print clearly. The form is processed at a centralized facility, and unreadable handwriting creates delays.
The opening section asks about everyone living in your home, including people who are not applying. List each person’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship to you. HHSC uses this to set your household size, which drives both your income limit and your benefit amount.
The following sections cover resources (cash and bank accounts), income from every source, and monthly expenses. Match the numbers on your pay stubs when you enter the employer name, pay amount, and pay frequency. For shelter, enter your actual rent or mortgage plus utility amounts.
Toward the end, the “Your Rights and Responsibilities” section explains what you are agreeing to by signing, including the duty to report changes and the penalties for false information. The signature at the bottom is not optional. Without it, HHSC will reject the application.1Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1010, Texas Works Application for Assistance – Your Texas Benefits If you are missing some information, sign and submit anyway. HHSC will accept an incomplete application as long as it has your name, address, and signature, and will follow up for the rest.
Naming an Authorized Representative
If illness, disability, or another barrier keeps you from applying yourself, you can name someone to handle it for you. Form H1010 has a section for designating an authorized representative, and that person can fill out the application, sit through the eligibility interview, and use your benefits to buy groceries on your behalf. The representative has to provide their own proof of identity.3Texas Health and Human Services. Authorized Representatives A legal guardian or someone holding power of attorney can also serve in this role by presenting the underlying legal documents.
How to Submit the Completed Form
Four channels are open:
- Mail: HHSC, P.O. Box 149024, Austin, TX 78714-9968.
- Fax: send every page (both sides if it is double-sided) to 1-877-447-2839.
- Online upload: scan or photograph the completed form and upload it through YourTexasBenefits.com or the mobile app. You get an immediate confirmation.
- In person: drop it off at your local HHSC benefits office.
Your application date is the day HHSC receives the signed form, no matter how you sent it. That date starts the processing clock and sets your first month of possible eligibility.
What Happens After You Submit
Within a few days of receiving the application, HHSC will schedule an eligibility interview. It is usually done by phone, so an in-person visit is often unnecessary.4Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-130 – Interview Procedures A caseworker will walk through your application, ask clarifying questions, and tell you which verification documents are still outstanding. Keep your pay stubs, bills, and ID within reach for the call.
HHSC has to act on your application within 30 days of the filing date. If you qualify, benefits must be available by day 30. If you are denied, the denial notice has to go out in the same window.5Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook B-160 – SNAP Timeliness Charts for Applications and All Redeterminations
Expedited (Emergency) Benefits
Some households qualify for faster processing. Under federal rules, benefits must be available no later than the seventh calendar day after your application date if your household meets any of these tests:6eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing
- Gross monthly income under $150 and liquid resources of $100 or less.
- Combined monthly income and liquid resources less than your monthly rent or mortgage plus utilities.
- Migrant or seasonal farmworker households meeting the destitute criteria.
Texas policy goes further, calling for same-day issuance when possible and no later than the next business day.7Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook – A-140, Expedited Service Say so during the interview if you think you qualify, so the caseworker can prioritize the case.
Do You Qualify?
Before you invest the time in the form, check whether your household falls within the eligibility limits. Texas uses broad-based categorical eligibility, which lifts the standard federal income cutoff. Your household’s gross monthly income (before deductions) must be at or below 165% of the federal poverty level, rather than the federal baseline of 130%.8Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) Your net income after allowed deductions (shelter, dependent care, medical, and others) determines the actual benefit amount.
These are the federal thresholds for October 2025 through September 2026. Texas applies the 165% gross income test, but the 100% (net) and 130% (gross) columns are the standard reference points:
- 1 person: $1,305 net; $1,696 gross
- 2 people: $1,763 net; $2,292 gross
- 3 people: $2,221 net; $2,888 gross
- 4 people: $2,680 net; $3,483 gross
- 5 people: $3,138 net; $4,079 gross
- 6 people: $3,596 net; $4,675 gross
- 7 people: $4,055 net; $5,271 gross
- 8 people: $4,513 net; $5,867 gross
- Each additional person: add $459 net and $596 gross
Texas also caps resources at $5,000 per household under BBCE.8Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) Countable resources include cash on hand and money in checking and savings accounts. One vehicle worth up to $22,000 is excluded.
Rules That May Apply to Your Household
Most SNAP recipients ages 16 to 59 have to register for work, accept suitable jobs, and not quit without good cause. A stricter rule covers able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 without dependents under 14 (ABAWDs): three months of benefits within a three-year period unless they work or take part in a qualifying activity for at least 80 hours per month. The general work rules do not apply if you care for a child under 6 or someone unable to care for themselves, already work at least 30 hours a week, receive or are applying for unemployment, cannot work due to a physical or mental health condition, attend school or training at least half time, or participate in a drug or alcohol treatment program.10Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Work Rules
College students enrolled at least half time are generally ineligible unless they meet an exemption, such as working 20 hours per week, being in a federal or state work-study program, caring for a young child, being a single parent enrolled full time with a child under 12, or receiving TANF. Students under 18 or age 50 and older are also exempt from the restriction.11Food and Nutrition Service. Students
Non-citizens must fall into a qualifying category to receive SNAP in Texas.2Texas Health and Human Services. Benefits Application Next Steps Refugees, asylees, and certain other humanitarian immigrants can qualify without a waiting period. Lawful permanent residents have historically needed to meet additional criteria, such as 40 qualifying quarters of work history, being under 18, or a military connection. Federal legislation passed in 2025 may have changed some non-citizen eligibility rules, so confirm with HHSC or 2-1-1 before you rely on older guidance.