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Food
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for seniors in Massachusetts
Massachusetts runs SNAP through the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), with money for groceries on an EBT card each month.
People 60 and older can use a shorter application, and if all the adults in your home are 60 or older or disabled and no one works, approval may last 36 months. Older adults may also be able to use SNAP for hot meals at participating restaurants.
How to apply in Massachusetts
- By phone
- 1-877-382-2363
- In person
- Apply at a local DTA office, with a SNAP outreach partner, or at a community kiosk. Interpreters are available in more than 100 languages.
- By mail
- Mail the application with the DTA cover sheet to DTA Document Processing Center, P.O. Box 4406, Taunton, MA 02780. People 60 and older, and couples 60 and older, can use the shorter SNAP Application for Seniors.
Applying is free. Nobody should charge you to apply.
Apply on the official siteWho may qualify in Massachusetts
| Savings limit, household with someone 60+ or disabled, gross income at or under 200% of poverty | No limit |
|---|---|
| Savings limit if gross income is over 200% of poverty (households not categorically eligible) | $4,750 Source: Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (source 5) |
| Gross income limit for the no-savings-test rule (broad-based categorical eligibility) | 200% of the poverty level |
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| How long approval lasts, households where all adults are 60+ or disabled and no one works (EDSAP) | 36 months |
|---|
Source: Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (source 5)
How Massachusetts is different
Where Massachusetts's rules differ from the federal rules for SNAP for seniors.
- Shorter SNAP Application for Seniors for people 60 and older and couples 60 and older
- Approval lasts 36 months, with no check-in before renewal, for households where all adults are 60 or older or disabled and no one has earnings (EDSAP)
- Restaurant Meals Program: some households of people who are 60 or older, disabled or homeless can buy hot meals with SNAP at participating restaurants
Source: Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (source 4)
Good to know
- Through the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), Massachusetts puts an extra $40, $60 or $80 a month back on your EBT card when you use SNAP to buy local fruits and vegetables at participating farms.
- To apply by phone, call the DTA Assistance Line at 1-877-382-2363 and press 7, Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Source: Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (source 4)
Free help
Free help with this in Massachusetts
Executive Office of Elder Affairs
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in Massachusetts
SNAP food benefits in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, DTA Connect (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility chart (June 2026) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly known as food stamps) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, Overview of the Different Types of SNAP Reporting Requirements (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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