B-490, Determining Whether a Person Who Resides in a Facility Is Institutionalized

Revision 22-1; Effective January 1, 2022

SNAP

People residing in institutions that are not approved are potentially eligible for SNAP, only if the person is not considered institutionalized. Approved institutions include homeless shelters, Drug and Alcohol Treatment (D&A), Group Living Arrangement (GLA) Facilities, and family violence shelters.

Additionally, people who reside together and receive residential services from nonprofit organizations or for-profit providers who contract with HHSC to provide residential services may participate in SNAP, only if the person is not considered institutionalized.

Residential services providers may:

manage a resident's personal funds at the request of the resident; or
be the payee on the resident's SSI benefit check.

If the person requests the residential services provider to manage the resident's personal account, the provider must maintain a financial account for the person and a separate detailed record of all deposits and expenditures for each resident.

Residential services providers may not commingle the resident's personal funds with the provider's funds.

For people residing in a facility or receiving residential services, staff must determine whether a person is institutionalized for SNAP eligibility following the steps below:

Step	Yes	No
Does the person do their own shopping and preparation for more than 50 percent of their meals, or do the facility staff manage the resident's personal account (which can include SNAP benefits) and use those funds to purchase a majority of the person's meals and prepare them for the resident?	The resident is not considered institutionalized. The person is eligible for SNAP if all other SNAP eligibility requirements are met. Go to Step 3.	Go to Step 2.
Does the facility: contract with HHSC to furnish a majority of the resident's meals along with other services; provide a majority of the resident's meals from food purchased with money other than the person's funds; or charge the resident a standard fee for a majority of the person's meals?	The resident is considered "institutionalized" for purposes of SNAP eligibility since the contractor is providing most meals for the person. The resident can only qualify if the person meets the requirements for a resident of a nonprofit GLA.	The resident is not considered institutionalized. The person is eligible for SNAP if all other SNAP eligibility requirements are met. Go to Step 3.
Does the resident purchase and prepare their meals separately from others (including situations in which an attendant purchases food for the person with the person’s money and prepares the person's meals separately from other people’s), or does the resident intend to purchase and prepare separately after certification for SNAP?	The person can apply as a one-person household following regular policy.	People who purchase or prepare their food together must be included on the SNAP application. HHSC determines eligibility for all those purchasing or preparing together. Example: The facility uses every resident’s specific SNAP funds to purchase groceries and prepare meals for everyone together. In this example, all the residents must be certified together for SNAP.

Step

Yes

Does the person do their own shopping and preparation for more than 50 percent of their meals, or do the facility staff manage the resident's personal account (which can include SNAP benefits) and use those funds to purchase a majority of the person's meals and prepare them for the resident?

The resident is not considered institutionalized. The person is eligible for SNAP if all other SNAP eligibility requirements are met. Go to Step 3.

Go to Step 2.

Does the facility:

contract with HHSC to furnish a majority of the resident's meals along with other services;
provide a majority of the resident's meals from food purchased with money other than the person's funds; or
charge the resident a standard fee for a majority of the person's meals?

The resident is considered "institutionalized" for purposes of SNAP eligibility since the contractor is providing most meals for the person. The resident can only qualify if the person meets the requirements for a resident of a nonprofit GLA.

The resident is not considered institutionalized. The person is eligible for SNAP if all other SNAP eligibility requirements are met. Go to Step 3.

Does the resident purchase and prepare their meals separately from others (including situations in which an attendant purchases food for the person with the person’s money and prepares the person's meals separately from other people’s), or does the resident intend to purchase and prepare separately after certification for SNAP?

The person can apply as a one-person household following regular policy.

People who purchase or prepare their food together must be included on the SNAP application. HHSC determines eligibility for all those purchasing or preparing together. Example: The facility uses every resident’s specific SNAP funds to purchase groceries and prepare meals for everyone together. In this example, all the residents must be certified together for SNAP.

Verify and document the answers to the questions in the chart. If the person designates provider staff as the AR and the AR states the attendant purchases meals or food using the person's funds, the AR must provide a detailed record of deposits and expenditures for these people.

Related Policy

Applications from Residents of a Homeless Shelter, A-116.2
General Policy, A-210
Drug and Alcohol (D&A) or Group Living Arrangement (GLA) Facilities, B-440
Residents of GLA Facilities, B-442
Residents in Family Violence Shelters, B-450

B-491 Documentation Requirements

Revision 22-1; Effective January 1, 2022

SNAP

For households receiving residential assistance, document responses to the questions when determining if a person who resides in a facility is institutionalized.

Related Policy

Determining Whether a Person Who Resides in a Facility Is Institutionalized, B-490