Basic Eligibility

• You must be a United States citizen or legal immigrant to qualify for food stamps. Students age 18 to 49 must meet additional criteria to qualify, but they may be eligible if they have a mental or physical disability, work 80 hours a month, are enrolled in a work-study program or are a caretaker for a qualified individual. Additionally, applicants must have or apply for a Social Security number. Individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may qualify for additional food assistance through Florida's SUNCAP program.
  
  

Ineligible Individuals

• You are automatically ineligible for food stamp benefits if you are a convicted felony drug trafficker, running from a felony warrant, knowingly broke food stamp rules or are an illegal immigrant. Households with ineligible members may still qualify for assistance, but they must meet stricter guidelines.
  
  

Income Limits

• As of 2010, most households qualify for Florida food stamps if their gross monthly income does not exceed 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and their net monthly income is at or below 100 percent of the FPL after eligible deductions. Families with an adult age 60 or older or a disabled individual are excluded from gross income limits. Households with an ineligible member must have a gross monthly income at or below 130 percent of the FPL. Part of your income and expenses are deducted prior to net income eligibility tests.
  
  

Assets

• Most households meeting income requirements are exempt from asset limits. However, if the household contains an ineligible member, a $2,000 asset limit applies. If the family contains an ineligible member and a person age 60 or older or disabled individual, the asset limit is $3,000. Assets include countable resources such as bank accounts, cash, and stocks or bonds. Your home, household items, vehicle, life insurance and burial plots are not considered assets.
  
  

Member Requirements

• If a parent is absent from the home you are applying for on behalf of a child, you must comply with child support enforcement agencies. Able-bodied individuals age 16 to 60 must seek employment, be in school or take part in job training. Food assistance for able-bodied adults age 18 to 50 without dependents may be limited to three months within a three-year period if they do not participate in job training or a work program.