The short answer
TEFAP, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, is a federal program that gives USDA food to states, which pass it to food banks and then to the food pantries, soup kitchens, and meal sites that hand it out. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet) You do not get a card or a check: you pick up food at a participating pantry, and for take-home food your state sets an income limit. (Indiana Department of Health, Commodity Food Programs) (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet)
Your state and local pantry decide who may qualify. Benefit Bull is free, always. It never hands out food or applies for you.
Key facts
| Who runs it | USDA FNA funds TEFAP, your state runs it, local pantries and meal sites hand out the food |
|---|---|
| What you get | USDA Foods, as take-home food or served meals |
| Income rule for take-home food | Set by your state, at or between 185 and 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (a state may propose a higher limit for federal approval) |
| Served meals | No income test |
Who may qualify for TEFAP food?
Your state sets the income limit for take-home food. Meals have no income test.
If you have picked up canned vegetables, rice, milk, or cheese at a pantry, some of it may have come through TEFAP. USDA buys the food, ships it to a state agency, and the state sends it to local agencies, "usually food banks, which distribute the food to local organizations that directly serve the public, such as soup kitchens and food pantries." (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet) FNA says TEFAP provides emergency food assistance "at no cost." (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet, accessed November 2, 2026)
For food you take home, "Recipients of food for home consumption must meet statewide income eligibility guidelines. State agencies set these guidelines." States may let you count as income eligible through "participation in other existing food, health, or social service programs for which eligibility is based on income." (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet)
Federal rules require each state to set a maximum income threshold "at or between 185 percent to 300 percent of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines," and to require that the household live in the area the state serves. They also say: "Length of residency, address, or identification documents shall not be used as an eligibility criterion." (eCFR, 7 CFR 251.5)
Served meals are different. "Recipients of prepared meals are presumed to have low income and are not subject to a means test." (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet)
One state example: Indiana says that to receive TEFAP food, an applicant must "reside in Indiana, have a gross household income of no more than 185% of current federal poverty income guidelines, and provide name, city, county, household size and attestation of income." (Indiana Department of Health, Commodity Food Programs) Other states set their own limit within the federal range, so the dollar figure where you live may differ.
If you need take-home food, ask the pantry what its income form looks like. In many places it is a short form where you state your household size and income.
How do you get TEFAP food near you?
Start with your state agency or its food bank, then the pantry or meal site.
There is no national TEFAP application. Indiana says it plainly: TEFAP "is not an individual nutrition benefit program and is not something to sign up or apply for." (Indiana Department of Health, Commodity Food Programs) FNA says that to apply for or use TEFAP, "you will need to contact your local agency." (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts)
- Find your state agency on FNA's TEFAP contacts map, or use the state list below. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts)
- Ask the state agency or your area food bank for the pantries and meal sites near you. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet)
- Call the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) for Spanish. (USDA FNA, National Hunger Hotline) (USA.gov, How to get emergency food assistance)
- You can also call 211 to find agencies and community organizations that help with food in an emergency. (USA.gov, How to get emergency food assistance)
You sign up yourself with the local agency or pantry. Benefit Bull is free, always. It never applies for you.
Call the Hunger Hotline or 211 before you drive anywhere. They can point you to a pantry or meal site near you.
What food comes from TEFAP?
More than 130 USDA Foods, depending on what your state orders.
FNA says: "More than 130 nutritious, high-quality products are available." They include canned, frozen, dried, juiced, and fresh fruits and vegetables; meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and beans; rice, flour, cereals, pasta, and tortillas; and milk, yogurt, and cheese. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet)
What a given pantry has on a given day depends on what the state orders and on the market: the foods "vary depending on the preferences of state agencies and on agricultural market conditions." (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet)
For stretching the rest of your grocery budget, see 10 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill.
Bring your own bags or a box, and ask whether the pantry has a schedule for fresh items like produce and dairy.
Is TEFAP the same as SNAP?
Different programs. Pantry food and SNAP are not either or.
No. Indiana puts it this way: TEFAP "provides food to organizations like food banks and pantries to distribute to people in need, while the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides direct benefits that individuals can use to purchase groceries." (Indiana Department of Health, Commodity Food Programs)
FNA says TEFAP recipients "may be eligible for a number of other FNA nutrition assistance programs." (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet) If your household has little or no money this month, see our guide to emergency food stamps.
Use both if you need them. A pantry visit this week and a SNAP application are not either or.
Is there a food box for people 60 and older?
CSFP is a separate USDA food package for older adults.
Yes, through a separate program. CSFP, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, is described by FNA as "Serving Older Adults with a Monthly Food Package." (USDA FNA, Commodity Supplemental Food Program) FNA says "CSFP operates in parts of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico," and that local agencies "determine the eligibility of applicants." (USDA FNA, CSFP Fact Sheet) Our Senior Money Checklist covers CSFP with other programs for older adults.
If you are 60 or older, or helping a parent who is, ask your food bank whether it also hands out CSFP boxes.
Who runs TEFAP in your state?
Agency names and phone lines from USDA and state pages.
Each state names its own agency. These are the agencies FNA lists for our five states. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts)
Indiana
Indiana Department of Health, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, 800-522-0874. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts) TEFAP limit: 185 percent of poverty, with an attestation of income. The state page links a TEFAP map of local agencies and a pantry finder. (Indiana Department of Health, Commodity Food Programs)
Kentucky
Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Division of Food Distribution, 502-782-9231. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts) We did not find a Kentucky .gov page with its TEFAP income limit, so ask the agency or your food bank.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office for Food and Nutrition Programs, 781-338-6480. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts) Ask the agency for the food bank that serves your area.
Minnesota
Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, 651-539-7871. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts)
Texas
Texas Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Division, 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325). (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts) We did not find a Texas .gov page with its TEFAP income limit, so ask the department or your food bank.
Other states: use FNA's TEFAP contacts map. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Contacts)
Call your state line and ask where the nearest TEFAP pantry or meal site is.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to apply for TEFAP?
Not the way you apply for SNAP. You go to a food pantry or meal site that hands out TEFAP food. For take-home food, the pantry may ask you to fill out a short household form or sign that your income is under your state's limit. Meal sites do not use an income test.
Can you get TEFAP food if you already get SNAP?
Our reading of the USDA FNA TEFAP Fact Sheet is that getting SNAP does not, by itself, keep you from TEFAP food. The fact sheet says TEFAP recipients "may be eligible for a number of other FNA nutrition assistance programs," and that states may count "participation in other existing food, health, or social service programs for which eligibility is based on income" toward TEFAP income eligibility. Your state sets the rules, so ask the pantry what it accepts.
Do you need an ID or proof of address for TEFAP?
Federal TEFAP rules say a state cannot use how long you have lived there, your address, or ID documents as an eligibility rule. You do need to live in the area the state serves. Ask the pantry what it needs from you.
Does Benefit Bull hand out food or sign you up?
No. Benefit Bull is free, always. It shows programs you may qualify for and points you to the official agency or local pantry. You sign up yourself with the pantry or local agency.
Key numbers
- USDA National Hunger Hotline
- 1-866-3-HUNGRY
- USDA Foods
- 130+
- Percent of poverty
- 185 to 300
- 1-866-3-HUNGRY: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET
- 130+: Products available through TEFAP
- 185 to 300: Federal range for each state's take-home income limit; a state may propose a higher limit for federal approval
The bottom line
TEFAP is USDA food that reaches you through your state, your food bank, and a local pantry or meal site; your state sets the income limit for take-home food, and served meals have no income test. (USDA FNA, TEFAP Fact Sheet) There is no national online application: start with your state agency, the Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY, or 211. (USDA FNA, National Hunger Hotline) (USA.gov, How to get emergency food assistance) You sign up yourself with the local agency or pantry. Benefit Bull is free, always. It never applies for you. Questions about this guide: ben@benefitbull.com.
Sources
Every claim above links to the source it came from.
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, TEFAP Fact Sheet
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, The Emergency Food Assistance Program
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, The Emergency Food Assistance Program Contacts
- eCFR, 7 CFR 251.5, Eligibility determinations (TEFAP)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, National Hunger Hotline
- USA.gov, How to get emergency food assistance
- Indiana Department of Health, Commodity Food Programs
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, Commodity Supplemental Food Program
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, CSFP Fact Sheet
