SNAP and food help for older adults in Mississippi

SNAP rules for older adults

SNAP benefits come each month on an EBT card. When someone in your home is 60 or older or disabled, special rules apply:

• Only the net income test. Your income after deductions must be at or below the limit. You do not have to pass the gross income test.
• Medical costs. You can deduct out-of-pocket medical costs over $35 a month. Keep receipts.
• Housing costs. There is no cap on the housing cost deduction.
• Savings. Your household can have up to $4,750 in countable resources.

Most people get less than the maximum. The amount depends on your income and costs.

Mississippi's simpler ways to apply

ESAP: for households where everyone is 65 or older

The Elderly Simplified Application Project makes it simpler to apply for and keep SNAP. Your household uses ESAP if:

• Everyone in the household is 65 or older (or the people 65 and over buy and fix their food separately from others in the home),
• No one has earned income from a job, and
• You are not in MSCAP (below).

If you meet these rules, you must use ESAP instead of regular SNAP. You apply with the SNAP Simplified Application for the Elderly, form MDHS EA 904, in English, Spanish or Vietnamese, from the MDHS ESAP page or your county MDHS office. USDA describes ESAP projects as ways to make applying and renewing easier, for example with fewer interviews and fewer papers to prove. Ask the ESAP team what applies to you.

MSCAP: for people on SSI

The Mississippi Combined Application Project is a joint project of MDHS, USDA and Social Security. It is for people who:

• Get SSI (the full SSI amount, or SSI plus other unearned income such as Social Security or VA benefits that adds up to the full SSI level),
• Have no earned income when they apply, and
• Live alone, or buy and fix their meals separately from others in the home.

You can sign up through your Social Security office or your county MDHS office. If you start working, you can stay in MSCAP for up to three months of earnings. After that, you move to regular SNAP.

ESAP and MSCAP questions: 800-948-4060.

How to apply for SNAP

1. Apply online at access.ms.gov, or use the ESAP form if you qualify. You can also apply at your county MDHS office.
2. Send papers through the MDHS upload site, ea-upload.mdhs.ms.gov, or bring them to your county office. If you have medical costs, send proof, such as pharmacy receipts and medical bills.
3. Questions about your case: call MDHS client services at 800-948-3050.

Other food help for people 60 and over

Monthly food boxes (CSFP)

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program gives a monthly box of USDA foods to people 60 and over with income at or below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. MDHS works with local agencies, which check eligibility and hand out the boxes. Funding is limited and some areas have a waiting list. To find your local agency, contact MDHS at 601-359-4500 or the Mississippi Food Network.

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce gives people 60 and over $40 a year for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey grown in Mississippi.

• Income (2026): gross household income up to $2,461 a month for one person or $3,337 for two.
• Where to use it: approved farmers markets and farm stands. Farmers scan a code with an app. Look for the sign at the market.
• Not covered: nuts, peanuts, pecans, juice, syrup, eggs, cheese, meat and seafood.
• Timing: Benefits can be used until October. You must reapply each year. Spots go first come, first served.
• 2026 is full. The 2026 application has closed. Check the Department of Agriculture and Commerce website for 2027 details starting in January 2027, or call 601-576-3667. If you got a card, keep it; it can be reloaded next year.

Senior meals

Your Area Agency on Aging offers group meals at senior centers and home-delivered meals for people who have trouble getting out. Find your agency by county at mdhs.ms.gov/aging.

After you are approved

• Report changes in income or who lives with you as MDHS tells you in your approval notice.
• Watch your mail for renewal papers and send them back on time, or your benefits can stop.
• If you are denied or your benefits are cut, you have the right to a fair hearing. Your notice explains how to ask.

Things people miss

• Medical costs raise your benefit. Many older adults never report them. Keep receipts for prescriptions and medical bills and report them.
• You may qualify even with savings. The resource limit for older households is higher than for others.
• ESAP is not optional. If everyone is 65 or older with no job income, MDHS will process you through ESAP, which is designed to be easier.
• Farmers market spots run out. Mark January on your calendar to check for the next year's sign-up.

Free help

• MDHS client services: 800-948-3050.
• ESAP and MSCAP team: 800-948-4060.
• MS Access to Care (MAC) Center: 844-822-4622 for local services, including meals.

For other programs, see all benefits in Mississippi. If you get SSI, ask about MSCAP.

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Mississippi agencies

Check what you may qualify for