Food stamps (SNAP) in
Louisiana.
By Subha, Public Benefits Writer · Verified
Quick answer: In Louisiana, the Department of Health runs SNAP.
Most households qualify with gross income up to 200% of the poverty line, which is $5,500 a month for a family of four from October 1, 2026. Benefits load on the Louisiana Purchase Card between the 1st and the 23rd of each month. Apply on the CAFÉ Self-Service Portal or call 888-524-3578.
Eligibility
Louisiana's 200% line: who qualifies for SNAP through LDH
Gross monthly income (before taxes) must be at or under the gross limit for your household size. Net income (after deductions) must be under the net limit. Maximum benefits apply from October 1, 2026.
| Household | Gross limit (200%) | Net limit | Max benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $2,660 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 people | $3,607 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 people | $4,554 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 people | $5,500 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 people | $6,447 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 people | $7,394 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 people | $8,340 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 people | $9,287 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
Each extra person adds $947 to the gross limit, $474 to the net limit and $225 to the maximum benefit.
Gross limit rule: LDH: SNAP income standards (BBCE uses 200% of FPL). Net limits and maximum benefits: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration FY2027 standards. Verified October 7, 2026.
Louisiana uses broad-based categorical eligibility, so most households face the 200% gross limit. Households it does not cover use 130%: $1,729 a month for one person and $3,575 for four.
How we got the 200% figures: the state's own table still shows last year's amounts, so we applied 200% to the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines and rounded up, the same way USDA rounds its 130% table.
A household with someone 60 or older, or someone receiving certain disability payments, only has to meet the net income limit.
Meeting the income limit does not guarantee benefits. Your amount is figured from net income after deductions, so a household near the limit may get a small benefit or none.
Your amount is the maximum for your household size minus 30% of your net income. See the math with examples.
| Gross income vs. the limit | $1,500 (limit $4,554) |
|---|---|
| After the 20% earnings deduction | $1,200 |
| After the $217 standard deduction | $983 net (limit $2,277) |
| 30% of net income | $295 |
| Monthly benefit | $808 max minus $295 = about $513 |
The card pays for groceries and seeds or plants that grow food, not alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, hot prepared food, pet food or household supplies. In Louisiana, also soft drinks, energy drinks and candy until January 12, 2028.
Payment schedule
Louisiana Purchase Card deposits: seniors first, then Social Security digits
Louisiana posts benefits on the same date every month. If the head of household is 60 or older or any member is disabled, benefits post on the 1st to the 4th.
Otherwise the last digit of the head of household's Social Security number sets the date, from the 5th for 0 to the 23rd for 9. Benefits can be used by 5 a.m. the morning after they post, and weekends and holidays do not change the date.
| Last digit of SSN | Benefits arrive |
|---|---|
| Head of household 60+, or a member disabled | 1st to 4th |
| 0 | 5th |
| 1 | 7th |
| 2 | 9th |
| 3 | 11th |
| 4 | 13th |
| 5 | 15th |
| 6 | 17th |
| 7 | 19th |
| 8 | 21st |
| 9 | 23rd |
One LDH EBT help page still says benefits post in the first 14 days. LDH's main SNAP page and its November 2025 schedule both say the 1st to the 23rd, so that is the schedule shown here.
Source: Louisiana Department of Health.
Get started
Applying on CAFÉ, by phone, fax or mail (never by email)
LDH calls you for a phone interview, and the appointment letter arrives within 10 days. You can ask for an in-person interview at a parish office instead.
LDH has 30 days to decide, and approved benefits count from the date you applied.
Need food now? Louisiana expedited SNAP
If your household has almost no money, LDH must put benefits on your card within 7 days of the day you apply. You qualify if your monthly gross income is under $150 and you have $100 or less in cash and bank accounts, or if your income and cash together are less than your rent or mortgage plus utilities.
Destitute migrant or seasonal farmworker households also qualify. Tell LDH you have little or no money when you apply. If your application is still pending on day 21, LDH mails you an EBT card automatically.
Source: official page.
Louisiana Purchase Card: balance, PIN and missing deposits
Check your balance, change your PIN and see your benefit schedule in the LifeInCheck EBT app or at LifeInCheckEBT.com. For card problems, call the EBT line at 888-997-1117.
If a deposit does not show up on your date, check the app first, then call 888-LAHelp-U (888-524-3578). Out-of-state purchases are blocked by default; you can ask for a short-term opt-out online or by phone, and the block returns at the start of the next month.
If food you bought with SNAP spoils in a power outage of at least 24 hours, or another household misfortune, ask LDH for replacement benefits. You can also buy groceries online with SNAP at participating Louisiana retailers.
Source: official page.
Louisiana SNAP work rules for adults 18 to 64
If you are 18 to 64, able to work and do not live with a child under 14, you must work, take part in job training or an approved activity, or combine the two for at least 80 hours a month to keep SNAP past the time limit. Louisiana's current time-limit period runs April 2026 to March 2029.
You are exempt if you already earn $217.50 or more a week or care for a child under 6. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, young adults under 25 who aged out of foster care, and households with a child aged 14 to 17 are no longer exempt.
Source: official page.
What Louisiana SNAP can buy, and the produce bonus
Since February 18, 2026, SNAP in Louisiana cannot buy soft drinks, energy drinks or candy, including gum and mints. The rule comes from a state food restriction waiver that runs until January 12, 2028. SNAP also still cannot buy restaurant meals in Louisiana.
The Louisiana Carrot Initiative adds a 30-cent bonus for every SNAP dollar spent on fresh fruits and vegetables at participating stores, up to $25 a month. It started in April 2025, and Walmart added it at all its Louisiana stores in June 2026, according to news reports.
Source: official page.
SUN Bucks: summer food money for Louisiana kids
SUN Bucks gives each eligible child a one-time $120 summer food benefit on an EBT card. Children enrolled automatically got it between May 27 and June 2, 2026, and others could apply until August 20, 2026. The money must be used within 122 days. The SUN Bucks line is 833-323-7482.
Source: official page.
Disaster SNAP after hurricanes and storms
After a declared disaster, Louisiana can open Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) for households that do not normally get SNAP but lost income or had damage. LDH's most recent D-SNAP, after Tropical Storm Arthur, ran July 27 to 31, 2026, in Avoyelles, St. Landry, St. Tammany and Terrebonne parishes.
If you already get SNAP, do not apply for D-SNAP. Ask for replacement benefits instead if your food spoiled.
Source: official page.
ESAP: a simpler track for Louisiana seniors
The Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) is for applicants who are 60 or older or disabled and have no earned income. LDH skips the renewal interview, checks information through data matches, and approves benefits for 36 months.
Source: official page.
Only in Louisiana
LDH, not DCFS, now runs Louisiana SNAP: what changed for your account
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), not the Department of Children and Family Services, now runs SNAP. Old DCFS SNAP pages redirect to LDH, but the CAFÉ Self-Service Portal still uses its old web address.
If you used the older CAFÉ Customer Portal, create a new account on the Self-Service Portal, even with an open case.
You can also apply by phone at 888-524-3578 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; it takes about 20 to 30 minutes), by fax at 225-663-3164, or by mail to P.O. Box 260031, Baton Rouge, LA 70826. LDH does not accept applications by email.
For step-by-step instructions on your phone, text GETSNAP to 898-211.
Report changes by the 10th of the month after they happen, and renew at the end of your certification period, usually 12 months. If LDH denies or cuts your benefits, you have 90 days from the decision to ask for a fair hearing.
Assets: Most Louisiana households have no asset limit, because LDH uses broad-based categorical eligibility. Households that do not qualify that way can have up to $3,000 in cash, bank accounts and similar resources, or $4,750 if a member is 60 or older or disabled.
If you are turned down
- 1Read the reason on your LDH notice.
- 2Ask for a fair hearing within 90 days of LDH's decision.
- 3Reapply if your income or household changes.
Related guides
Other programs that may help your household.
Frequently asked questions
Louisiana SNAP questions, from CAFÉ accounts to soda
Most Louisiana households can have gross income up to 200% of the poverty line, which is $5,500 a month for a family of four from October 1, 2026. A household with someone 60 or older, or someone receiving certain disability payments, only has to meet the net income limit.
It depends on household size and net income. From October 1, 2026, the cap is $306 a month for one person and $1,023 for four, and LDH subtracts 30% of your net income from the cap for your size. Fresh produce bought at Carrot Initiative stores earns a bonus of up to $25 a month on top.
If the head of household is 60 or older or any member is disabled, benefits post on the 1st to the 4th. Everyone else goes by the last digit of the head of household's Social Security number, from the 5th for 0 to the 23rd for 9. Benefits can be used by 5 a.m. the next morning.
No. Since February 18, 2026, Louisiana SNAP cannot buy soft drinks, energy drinks or candy, including gum and mints. The rule comes from a state food restriction waiver that runs until January 12, 2028.
Yes. The Louisiana Carrot Initiative adds a 30-cent bonus for every SNAP dollar spent on fresh fruits and vegetables at participating stores, up to $25 a month. It started in April 2025, and Walmart added it at all its Louisiana stores in June 2026, according to news reports.
Yes. Create a new account on the CAFÉ Self-Service Portal, even with an open case. You can also apply by phone at 888-524-3578, by fax at 225-663-3164, or by mail to P.O. Box 260031, Baton Rouge, LA 70826. LDH does not accept applications by email.
888-LAHelp-U (888-524-3578) takes SNAP questions on weekdays. LDH lists the hours as 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on one page and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on another, so calling between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. is safest. For card problems, call 888-997-1117.
Check your Louisiana Purchase Card balance in the LifeInCheck EBT app or at LifeInCheckEBT.com.
Yes. ESAP is for applicants who are 60 or older or disabled and have no earned income. LDH skips the renewal interview, checks information through data matches, and approves benefits for 36 months.
Some adults, yes. If you are 18 to 64, able to work and have no child under 14 at home, you need 80 hours a month of work, training or both to keep SNAP past three months. Earning $217.50 or more a week, pregnancy, or caring for a child under 6 exempts you.
Official resources
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