Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Alaska Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides food benefits to low-income households. The federal government funds 100% of the SNAP benefit. The State pays half the costs of operating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Alaska.
The Division of Public Assistance issues SNAP benefits via the Alaska Quest card. The amount a household receives each month depends on the household's countable income and size of the household. Eligible households use SNAP benefits to buy food products from authorized stores statewide.
Eligible applicants must pass income and assets tests. The gross monthly income test is based on 130% of the current Alaska poverty standard.
Alaska has special rules that allow for higher SNAP benefits in rural areas, and the use of benefits to purchase certain hunting and fishing subsistence supplies.
Learn more about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:
Requirements for Eligibility
Residency. Applicants must be residents of the State of Alaska to receive Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from Alaska.
Age and Relationship. There are no specific age limits to receive SNAP benefits. Parents and their children 21 years old or younger living together are considered one household. Minors who apply on their own must be living independently. Individuals living together and who purchase and prepare food together are treated as one household.
Citizenship and Social Security Numbers. An applicant must be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. National, or a qualified alien to get SNAP benefits. Some legal immigrants are ineligible for SNAP benefits; however, dependents of an ineligible immigrant are often eligible. All household members must have a social security number or proof of having applied for one.
Work. To receive SNAP benefits, most able-bodied people between 16 and 59 years old must register for work, participate in the Employment & Training Program (E&T) if offered, accept offers of employment, and cannot quit a job. In addition, unless exempt, SNAP benefits are limited to 3 months within a 36 month period for Able Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWD’s) between the ages of 18 and 50 who are not working or participating in an approved E&T program an average of 20 hours per week.
Other Factors. Strikers must be resource and income eligible before the day of the strike. Most college students must be working half time, enrolled in work-study, caring for young dependents, or receiving Temporary Assistance. Felons convicted of drug-related offenses are not eligible for SNAP benefits unless they meet specific conditions. Individuals disqualified for fraud are ineligible for one year for the first offense, two years for the second offense, and permanently for the third. Dependents of disqualified or ineligible individuals may be eligible.
Resource Test. The asset limit is $2,750 for most households and $4250 for households containing a member who is disabled or 60 years or older.
Many types of assets are not counted such as the home you occupy and its lot, household goods, burial plots, cash value of life insurance, money in retirement savings accounts, pension plans, income producing property, 529 college savings plans, and vehicles used for an exempt reason or with an equity value under $1,500.
Countable assets include cash on hand, money in checking or savings accounts, certificates of deposit, U.S. savings bonds, stocks, bonds, property not up for sale, crowdfunding accounts, and lump-sum payments. Special rules apply to Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends.
Income Test. SNAP does not count loans, Title IV Education Act and Bureau of Indian Affairs Grants and Awards, reimbursements, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporation payments to shareholders, heating or energy assistance, and earnings of children under age 18 who are in school.
Countable income includes wages, self-employment, public assistance benefits, unemployment benefits, worker's compensation, child support, Social Security benefits (SSA), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), pensions, and Senior Benefits payments. Special rules apply to Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends.
Deductions. SNAP rules allow income deductions, including a 20% deduction of gross earned income, a standard deduction of $330 given to households with one to five members and $330 given to households with six or more members, a deduction for dependent care costs if they are for a child who is a member of the SNAP household and are necessary to allow a household member to work or attend school, medical expenses over $35 for elderly or disabled household members, and a shelter/utility deduction not to exceed $996 for most households. There is no limit on shelter/utility deductions for households that contain an elderly or disabled individual.
Alaska SNAP Program Standards
Income Limits And Standard Deductions
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed)
For SNAP-eligible residents, SNAP-Education services are available in several communities throughout the state. To learn more about this program, visit the
SNAP-Ed webpage.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement – Food and Nutrition Service
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:
https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (833) 620-1071, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to:
- mail:
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
1320 Braddock Place, Room 334
Alexandria, VA 22314; or
- fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
- email:
FNSCIVILRIGHTSCOMPLAINTS@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.