The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides low-income Iowans with financial assistance to purchase groceries. This program, often referred to by its former name, helps ensure access to nutritional food for eligible families and individuals throughout the state. Benefits are distributed monthly onto an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, which functions like a debit card and can be used at authorized retailers.
Access to nutritious food plays a vital role in individual and community well-being. By providing support for food purchases, the program contributes to improved health outcomes, reduces food insecurity, and allows limited income to stretch further, potentially freeing up resources for other essential needs like housing and healthcare. The program has a long history in the United States, evolving over time to better address the needs of vulnerable populations. In Iowa, the program is administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
