Policy Basics: Introduction to SNAP
Overview
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program. In 2013, it helped more than 47 million low-income Americans to afford a nutritionally adequate diet in a typical month. Seventy percent of SNAP participants are in families with children; more than one-quarter of participants are in households with seniors or people with disabilities.