Definitions

EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer). The primary way the Department delivers SNAP benefits to clients. Homeless Individual. An individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or whose primary nighttime residence is: (1) A supervised shelter designed to provide temporary accommodations; (2) A halfway house or similar institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; (3) A temporary accommodation in the residence of another individual for no more than 90 days; or (4) A place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for people (a hallway, a bus station, a lobby or similar place). Household. Any individual or group whose income and/or assets must be used to calculate SNAP benefits levels. Household Disaster. An emergency situation declared a disaster by the President or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Disasters are defined as, but are not limited to, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes or fires. Household Misfortune. A loss of food due to, but not limited to, loss of power, fire or flood that is not declared a disaster by the President or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Mass. Register #1453 10/1/21) Means-tested Program. The following are federal or state means-tested programs (i.e., income is a factor in determining eligibility): Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Transitional Assistance to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC), Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC), Emergency Assistance (EA), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), State Supplement Program (SSP) to SSI, Medicaid, State Child Health Insurance (SCHIP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Food Assistance Programs in Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Veterans' Service benefits. Month. A cyclical month determined by the last digit of the Social Security number of the head of the household, unless otherwise specified. SNAP Benefits. Any coupon, stamp, certificate, voucher, authorization card, access device including an electronic benefit card and personal identification number, or SNAP payment in the form of cash or a check for the purchase of eligible food.