Basic Food
Basic Food, the state's food stamp program, helps people in Washington make ends meet by providing monthly benefits to buy food. Participating in Basic Food has other benefits such as:
- Enrollment in free school meals for school-aged children;
- Qualification for low-cost local phone service; and
- Shows your family meets the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) income test.
Basic Information
Your household can have income up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and be eligible for Basic Food. Asset limits also don't apply to households with total monthly income under this limit.
Household Size |
Monthly Income |
1 |
$1,815 |
2 |
$2,452 |
3 |
$3,089 |
4 |
$3,725 |
5 |
$4,362 |
Updates
Food Assistance Program for Legal Immigrants
The state-funded Food Assistance Program (FAP), which was to be eliminated at the end of January 2011, is still available.
FAP provides food benefits to legal immigrants who didn’t meet the citizenship or alien status rules for federally funded food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Households that include people eligible for SNAP benefits as well as FAP will continue to receive benefits for the persons who are eligible for the federal benefits.
Court Action on FAP
US District Court Judge Marsha Pechman issued a preliminary injunction on February 17, 2011 related to a class action lawsuit over the termination of FAP. As directed by the injunction under Case C11-119 MJP, DSHS will continue to provide FAP benefits while the case is litigated.
What Can I Buy With Basic Food?
The US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service sets rules on what SNAP / Basic Food benefits can be used for.
Basic Food benefits can be used to buy people in your household food items such as:
- Breads and cereals
- Fruits and vegetables
- Cheese, milk and other dairy products
- Meats, fish, poultry and eggs
- Most other food items that are not prepared hot foods
- Seeds and plants that produce food for your household
Basic Food benefits cannot be:
- Exchanged for cash
- Used by and for people who are not in your household
- Used to buy:
- Food in restaurants
- Hot Foods
- Food that will be eaten in the store
- Soaps, paper products
- Household supplies
- Vitamins or medicines
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
Am I eligible? How much would I get each month?
Eligibility for Basic Food is based on your monthly income (before taxes) and your household size. We also look at your regular expenses, such as rent and child care, to determine what your benefits will be.
Use our Benefit Estimator to determine if you qualify for Basic Food and get an estimate of your monthly benefits.
More Information
Basic Food Publications - Brochure , Rack Card,, Booklet
Cambodian Brochure, Rack Card, Booklet
Korean Brochure, Rack Card, Booklet
Laotian Brochure, Rack Card, Booklet
Russian Brochure, Rack Card, FAQ,, Booklet
Somali Brochure, Rack Card, Booklet
Spanish Brochure, Rack Card, FAQ, Booklet
Vietnamese Brochure, Rack Card, Booklet
Chinese Brochure, Rack Card, Booklet
From a client:
"Thank you so much for the food stamp card. It has helped me so much...This helps me buy things I have not been able to buy for a long time, like greens and fresh fruit."
-Anna R., Colfax, WA
Apply Here
Getting Basic Food is easy! You can apply in person at the local DSHS Community Service Office , by mail, or online. We can arrange a phone interview anytime an in-office interview is inconvenient and we can help verify any required information.
Please call our toll-free number: 1-877-501-2233, for more information or to request an application.
Get hooked up!
When we approve you for Basic Food, even if you have a low or zero-dollar monthly benefit, you are eligible for low-cost local phone service through the Washington Telephone Assistance Program (WTAP).
People who receive Basic Food can enroll in WTAP by calling their local phone provider.
For more information about WTAP, Call 1-888-700-8880.