Florida Food Stamps and EBT Guide

If you are trying to see if you are eligible to apply for Food stamps in Florida (SNAP) or need more information about Florida EBT, you’ve come to the right place. The Florida food stamps and EBT program, also called the Food Assistance Program, is a federal nutrition program that helps low-income individuals and families buy food.

Food Stamps benefits can be used to purchase food at grocery stores, convenience stores, and some farmers’ markets.

The program is run at the state level by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF)

If you apply and are approved for benefits, your monthly food stamps allocation will be given to you each month on a plastic card called an EBT (electronic benefits transfer) card, which works like a debit card.

We have provided below everything you need to know to successfully apply for food stamps. We have also explained how EBT Card works and what you can expect with your card if you are approved for food stamps.

In this post, we will cover the following:

Should I apply for Florida Food Stamps?
Who is Eligible for Florida Food Stamps?
2019/2020 Florida Food Stamps Income Limit
How Much Will I Recieve in Florida Food Stamps?
How to Apply for Florida Food Stamps
How long to get Approved for Florida Food Stamps?
What is Florida EBT Card?
What can I buy with EBT in Florida?
What time are Food Stamps EBT deposited in Florida?
How to Check Florida EBT Card Balance?
How Do I Get a Florida EBT Card Replacement?
Florida EBT Discounts, Perks and Freebies

"Florida food stamps EBT"

Should I apply for Florida Food Stamps?

If you’ve hit tough times and are struggling to afford food for yourself or your family, you should consider applying for food stamps.

The food stamps program is a federal entitlement program. This means anyone who is eligible will receive benefits. You will not be taking away benefits from someone else if you apply.

In addition, the food stamps program is a nutrition program and not a welfare cash assistance program (which is called TANF). You do not have to be receiving TANF to get food stamps.

Who is Eligible for Florida Food Stamps?

The food stamps program is SNAP focused on helping low-income individuals and families, predominantly serving households with children, elderly or disabled members.

Nearly half of all food stamps participants are children.

Eligibility for SNAP is limited to people with gross incomes up to 130% of the federal poverty line.

This means that a family of four can make no more than $2,790 a month to receive benefits.

Able-bodied adults without dependents can only receive three months of benefits during any three-year period if they’re not working a minimum of 20 hours per week or participating in a training program.

There are several requirements you have to meet to be approved for Florida food stamps and EBT, however, the most important is the income limit.

As stated above, to be eligible for food stamps, your gross income cannot exceed 130% of the federal poverty line.

In addition, after deductions are taken out, your net income cannot exceed 100% of the poverty level.

2019/2020 Arizona Food Stamps Income Limit

Below is the 2019/2020 food stamps income limit. It is based on the number of people in your household. For example, if you are a family of 4, you cannot make more than a gross income of $2,790 to qualify for food stamps.

Household Size	Gross monthly income (130 percent of poverty)	Net monthly income (100 percent of poverty)
1	$1,354	$1,041
2	$1,832	$1,410
3	$2,311	$1,778
4	$2,790	$2,146
5	$3,269	$2,515
6	$3,748	$2,883
7	$4,227	$3,251
8	$4,705	$3,620
Each additional member	+$479	+$369

How Much Will I Recieve in Florida Food Stamps?

The amount of food stamps benefits a household gets depends on how many people are in the household and how much monthly net income remains after taking allowable deductions.

Because food stamps households are expected to spend about 30 percent of their own resources on food, the amount of food stamps you get is calculated by multiplying your household’s net monthly income by 0.3, and subtracting the result from the maximum monthly allotment for your household size.

People in Household	Maximum Monthly Allotment
1	$194
2	$355
3	$509
4	$646
5	$768
6	$921
7	$1,018
8	$1,164
Each additional person	+$146

Florida Food Stamps Work Requirement

Healthy adults, 18 to 50 years of age, who do not have dependent children or are not pregnant, can only get food assistance benefits for 3 months in a 3-year period if they are not working or participating in a work or workfare program.

How to Apply for Florida Food Stamps

There are 3 ways you can apply for food stamps in Florida.

Option 1 – Apply online

You can apply online through the Florida ACCESS account (as shown in the image below). If you have an account, you can login or create your MyACCESS Account. Click here to be taken to the website.

Option 2 – Apply at DCF Office Near You

You can apply in person at the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) office near you. Click here to locate a DCF office.

Option 3 – Download Florida Food Stamps Application

You can download an application, complete it and mail it to your county DCF office or submit it in person.

"How to Apply for Florida Food Stamps"

How long to get Approved for Florida Food Stamps?

Once you submit a complete application, your caseworker will schedule an interview with you to review your application information and ask any questions they may have about the information you submitted.

Generally, a decision will be made on your food stamps application within 30 days of the day you submitted a COMPLETE application.

What is Florida EBT Card?

"Florida EBT Card"

The Florida EBT Card, also called the Florida ACCESS card is used to administer your monthly benefits.

If you are approved for food stamps, your monthly food stamps allocation will be given to you each month on a Florida EBT Card, which works like a debit card.

What can I buy with EBT in Florida?

You are allowed to use your food stamps benefits card to buy foods that your household will prepare to eat at home, including the following

breads and cereals
fruits and vegetables
meats, fish and poultry; and
dairy products
Seeds and plants to produce food for the household to eat
Soft drinks, candy, cookies, snack crackers, and ice cream
Seafood, steak, and bakery cakes
Energy drinks that have a nutrition facts label
Energy drinks that have a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements and are therefore not eligible

Now that you know what you can buy with your SNAP card, here is the list of things you CANNOT buy with the card:

Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
Any nonfood items, such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, diapers, and household supplies
Vitamins and medicines
Food that will be eaten in the store
Hot foods
Live animals

NOTE: In some areas, restaurants can be authorized to accept SNAP benefits from qualified homeless, elderly, or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals.

What time are food stamps EBT deposited in Florida?

Generally, your EBT payment is available at midnight on your payment date.

In Florida, Food Stamp Benefits are deposited into EBT Card accounts from the 1st to the 28th of every month. When your payment is deposited depends on the 9th and 8th digits of your case number (READ BACKWARDS), dropping the 10th digit.

Here is the schedule:

If the 9th and 8th digit of your Case number is	Benefits are deposited on the
00-03	1st of the month
04-06	2nd of the month
07-10	3rd of the month
11-13	4th of the month
14-17	5th of the month
18-20	6th of the month
21-24	7th of the month
25-27	8th of the month
28-31	9th of the month
32-34	10th of the month
35-38	11th of the month
39-41	12th of the month
42-45	13th of the month
46-48	14th of the month
49-53	15th of the month
54-57	16th of the month
58-60	17th of the month
61-64	18th of the month
65-67	19th of the month
68-71	20th of the month
72-74	21st of the month
75-78	22nd of the month
79-81	23rd of the month
82-85	24th of the month
86-88	25th of the month
89-92	26th of the month
93-95	27th of the month
96-99	28th of the month

*Cash benefits are made available on the 1st through the 3rd day of every month.

How to Check Florida EBT Card Balance?

There are three ways to check your Florida EBT Card balance.

Option 1

Call 1-888-356-3281 to check the balance on your Florida EBT Card

Option 2

You can check the balance online here

Option 3

You can also check the balance by locating your Last Receipt

How Do I Get a Florida EBT Card Replacement?

To report your card lost, stolen, damaged, or not received in the mail call the Florida EBT Customer Service number at – 1-888-356-3281.

If your EBT card is stolen and benefits are used these benefits cannot be replaced.

You can also call the number above for the following:

To report your card lost, stolen, damaged, or not received in the mail.
To know the date your benefits will be available in your account each month.
To know if your benefits have been deposited into your account and get your account balance.
To hear your last 10 transactions.
To file a claim if you question a transaction in your account.
If you want to select or change your PIN.
If your card does not work.
To find the nearest location where you can use your card.
If you have other questions about or problems with your card.

Florida EBT Discounts

Your Florida EBT Card comes with some perks, discounts, and freebies.

Sign up for Amazon Prime Discount for EBT Holders

Amazon.com has announced that beneficiaries enrolled in some government assistance programs can now get Amazon Prime subscriptions for $5.99 a month. EBT Cardholders are included in this offer.

This means that if you are currently receiving benefits on an EBT card, like Food Stamps, you can sign up for Amazon Prime discount for EBT holders. To sign up, click here to be taken to their sign-up page.

The regular Amazon Prime membership is $12.99 a month. However, if you have an EBT Card, you can get Prime Membership for $5.99. That’s over 50% off the regular price.

Home Phone and Cell Phone Services

If you are currently on Food Stamps, and your income is below a certain level, you may qualify for FREE or low-cost cell phone or home phone service for you or a member of your family through the Federal Lifeline Program, which serves nearly 13 million Americans.

This program provides discounts on cell phone service or home phone service for qualifying low-income consumers, including those on Food Stamps. Here are the companies that participate in the program in the state of Florida.

There are different companies providing cell phone and home phone service. Be sure to view the “Type of Service” column to make sure you are selecting the right company.

Company Name	Phone	Type of Service
ITS Telecom	888-888-6242	Home Phone
Windstream Communications	800-347-1991	Home Phone
Smart City Telecommunications	407-828-6700	Home Phone
AT&T	855-301-0355	Home Phone
Phone Club Corporation	800-505-1545	Home Phone
NEFCOM	904-259-2261	Home Phone
Knology	855-496-9929	Home Phone
TDS Telecom/Quincy Telephone Company	888-225-5837	Home Phone
Consolidated Communications	844-968-7224	Home Phone
Global Connection of America	877-511-3009	Home Phone
CenturyLink	800-407-5411	Home Phone
Frontier Communications	800-921-8101	Home Phone
Access Wireless	866-594-3644	Mobile
T-Mobile	800-937-8997	Mobile
Safelink Wireless	800-723-3546	Mobile
Assurance Wireless	888-898-4888	Mobile

Free things to do with EBT Card in Florida

The Florida Museums listed below all offer individual admission fees ranging from FREE to $3.00 to individuals and families who have an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, and a valid form of photo ID. The offer covers up to four individuals per EBT card

We advise that you call the museum first before you go to confirm their hours and the offer for Florida EBT Cardholders.

Great Explorations Children’s Museum

1925 4th St. North

St. Petersburg, Florida 33704

727-821-8992