Louisiana SNAP moved from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) on October 1, 2025, but the rules and the application portal didn’t change. Apply online through LA CAFÉ (the self-service portal), by phone at 888-LAHelp-U (888-524-3578), by mail or fax, or at a parish office. You can also text GETSNAP to 898-211 for instructions. Most households qualify with gross income up to 200% of poverty.
Since February 18, 2026, Louisiana SNAP can’t buy most soft drinks, energy drinks or candy. Benefits load on the Louisiana Purchase Card. Louisiana food stamps and Louisiana SNAP are the same program.
Louisiana SNAP at a glance
| Louisiana | |
|---|---|
| Run by | Louisiana Department of Health (since Oct 1, 2025), parish offices |
| Apply online | LA CAFÉ self-service portal |
| Phone | 888-524-3578 (888-LAHelp-U), 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays |
| Text | GETSNAP to 898-211 |
| LDH Economic Stability, P.O. Box 260031, Baton Rouge, LA 70826 | |
| Gross income limit | 200% of poverty for most households |
| Asset test | None for most households |
| EBT card | Louisiana Purchase Card, 888-997-1117, LifeInCheck app |
| Out-of-state card blocking | Started May 26, 2026 |
| Food restrictions | Soft drinks, energy drinks, candy (since Feb 18, 2026) |
| Summer EBT 2026 | Yes |
Louisiana income limits
| Household size | 200% limit (LDH, current) | 200% from Oct 1, 2026 (estimate) | 130% from Oct 1, 2026 (USDA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,609 | $2,660 | $1,729 |
| 2 | $3,525 | $3,608 | $2,345 |
| 3 | $4,442 | $4,554 | $2,960 |
| 4 | $5,359 | $5,500 | $3,575 |
| 5 | $6,275 | $6,448 | $4,191 |
| 6 | $7,192 | $7,394 | $4,806 |
| 7 | $8,109 | $8,340 | $5,421 |
| 8 | $9,025 | $9,288 | $6,037 |
LDH’s page lists the 200% table for broad-based categorical eligibility. Some LDH pages still mention $3,000 and $4,500 resource limits; USDA lists Louisiana with no asset limit for households under broad-based eligibility, so those limits likely apply only to households outside it. Ask your worker if you have savings.
Documents Louisiana asks for
LDH’s SNAP FAQ lists the proof you may need:
- Identity, and legal resident status if you’re not a citizen
- Social Security numbers for household members
- Pay information if you work, or a termination or separation notice if you recently lost a job
- Self-employment income records
- Other income, such as unemployment, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, child support or retirement
- Medical expenses (these can raise the benefit for people 60+ or disabled)
- Child support you pay to someone outside your home
You can upload proof in LA CAFÉ as scanned PDFs or as GIF, JPG or PNG photos, so a clear phone picture works.
How to apply
- Online at LA CAFÉ, or text GETSNAP to 898-211 for help.
- Phone 888-524-3578, mail, fax (225-663-3164), or in person at a parish office.
- Interview: an LDH worker calls you, or ask for a face-to-face interview. See SNAP interview tips.
- Decision within 30 days, or 7 for expedited SNAP.
Tracking your case in LA CAFÉ
After you apply, LA CAFÉ shows your status as it moves along: Submitted, Received, Incomplete, Pending, Awaiting Verifications, Verifications Received, and then Approved or Denied. “Awaiting Verifications” means the worker is waiting on you, so upload what’s missing fast. You can also message your caseworker through the “Questions About Your Case?” menu (answers can take up to two business days) and see the budget LDH used to figure your benefit.
How much Louisiana SNAP pays: an example
Your benefit is the maximum for your household size minus 30% of your net income. Here’s a mom in Baton Rouge with one child. She earns $1,800 a month, gets $300 in child support, and her rent plus utilities (as LDH counts them) is $950. With federal figures from October 1, 2026:
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Earnings minus 20% deduction ($1,800 minus $360) | $1,440 |
| Plus child support received | $1,740 |
| Minus standard deduction ($217) | $1,523 |
| Excess shelter: $950 minus half of $1,523 ($761.50) | $188.50 |
| Net income: $1,523 minus $188.50 | $1,334.50 |
| 30% of net income, rounded up | $401 |
| Monthly SNAP: $562 maximum minus $401 | $161 |
The 20% deduction applies only to wages, not child support. Her $2,100 gross is well under Louisiana’s 200% limit for two. See SNAP benefit amounts.
Keeping SNAP: reports and renewals
During your certification period, LDH may send a Simplified Report (form OFS 4SR). It asks you to confirm or update your address and housing costs, who lives with you, earned and unearned income, child support, bank accounts and other resources, and any large lottery or gambling winnings. Return it with the proof it asks for by the due date on the form. LDH warns that if you don’t, your SNAP case may be closed.
At the end of your certification period you complete a redetermination (renewal). You can file both the Simplified Report and the renewal in LA CAFÉ, and report changes there with a Change Report. See SNAP recertification.
What you can’t buy in Louisiana
LDH’s definitions are more detailed than most states’:
| Restricted | Still allowed |
|---|---|
| Carbonated soft drinks with high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners | Flavored sparkling water; drinks sweetened with cane sugar or monk fruit; milk; drinks with 50% or more juice |
| Energy drinks with added stimulants like caffeine, guarana or taurine | Drinks without added stimulants, if not otherwise restricted |
| Candy, including candy made with flour | Protein bars, granola bars, baking ingredients |
The waiver runs two years. See the SNAP soda and candy ban states list.
Your Louisiana Purchase Card
- Help line: 888-997-1117; LifeInCheck website and app.
- Out-of-state purchases are blocked by default since May 26, 2026, to stop skimming thieves who spend stolen benefits in other states. If you travel, ask how to unblock.
- Balance: use the LifeInCheck app or website, or call 888-524-3578. LDH says LifeInCheck is the only app it approves for checking SNAP benefits. The app also handles PIN changes, recent transactions, and lost or stolen card reports.
- Border stores still work: stores in ZIP codes along Louisiana’s border in Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas count as in-state, and online purchases aren’t affected by the out-of-state block.
- Use it or lose it: since June 14, 2026, unused SNAP, FITAP and KCSP benefits are removed from the card 274 days (nine months) after they were issued.
- Deposit days: LDH describes a rolling schedule by the head of household’s SSN, from the 1st to the 23rd, with the same date every month. See the EBT deposit schedule.
SUN Bucks in Louisiana
Louisiana paid $120 per child for summer 2026. Automatic payments went out May 27 to June 2 for children on SNAP, FITAP, KCSP or income-based Medicaid at schools with federal meal programs. Applications closed August 20. Help line: 833-323-7482. See Summer EBT.
Work rules and the 2025 shutdown
The federal time limit covers adults 18 to 64 without a child under 14 at home; see SNAP work requirements. SNAP Employment and Training moved to the Louisiana Workforce Commission when SNAP moved to LDH.
Louisiana’s SNAP E&T is voluntary, and there’s no penalty for not joining. Louisiana Works is the main contractor, with providers mostly in metro areas. Services include job search help, coaching, case management, vocational training, education, work experience and help keeping a job. It can repay costs like transportation, child care, uniforms, tools, books and testing fees. Your eligibility worker can refer you at application or renewal. See SNAP Employment and Training.
During the November 2025 shutdown, Louisiana used state money for emergency food benefits for households with a child, an older adult or a person with a disability. Lawmakers approved up to $150 million. Able-bodied adults without children were excluded.
Other help in Louisiana
- FITAP: the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program is Louisiana’s TANF cash help for children whose parents can’t fully support them. Apply in LA CAFÉ. Work-eligible adults join the STEP program, and there’s a 60-month lifetime limit for households with a parent or caretaker. See SNAP vs TANF.
- KCSP: the Kinship Care Subsidy Program helps relatives raising a child.
- WIC: LDH also runs WIC for pregnant women, new moms, babies and children under 5. SNAP may mean you already meet WIC’s income rule. See WIC vs SNAP.
- Lifeline: SNAP qualifies you for up to $9.25 a month off phone or internet service.
Costs, error rate and caseload
Louisiana’s FY2025 payment error rate was 8.14%, which falls in the 10% cost-share tier. LDH has a goal of getting under 6% to avoid about $95 million in state costs. The caseload fell to about 627,000 people in June 2026, down nearly 21% from a year earlier.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for food stamps in Louisiana? Apply online in LA CAFÉ, call 888-524-3578, mail or fax the form, or visit a parish office. Text GETSNAP to 898-211 for instructions. An LDH worker then calls you for the interview.
What is the Louisiana food stamps phone number? 888-LAHelp-U (888-524-3578), 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. For EBT card issues, call 888-997-1117.
Can I buy soda with SNAP in Louisiana? Not most soda. Since February 18, 2026, SNAP can’t buy soft drinks with high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, energy drinks with added stimulants, or candy. Flavored sparkling water and drinks with 50% or more juice are still allowed.
Why can’t I use my Louisiana EBT card in another state? Since May 26, 2026, out-of-state purchases are blocked by default to stop thieves. Stores near the border and online orders still work. Ask LDH about unblocking before you travel.
Who runs SNAP in Louisiana now? The Louisiana Department of Health, since October 1, 2025. The LA CAFÉ portal and your card didn’t change.
Do unused Louisiana SNAP benefits expire? Yes. Benefits you don’t use are removed 274 days after they’re issued.
More states and topics: SNAP and EBT guides. Every state’s portal: how to apply for SNAP. SNAP also qualifies you for a Lifeline free government phone plan.