Income received under AmeriCorps State and National and income received under AmeriCorps VISTA are handled differently from each other for SNAP. The handling of income varies depending upon whether the SNAP recipient is serving with AmeriCorps State and National or VISTA.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is the Federal agency responsible for overseeing both the AmeriCorps State and National and VISTA programs. However, the programs were authorized and are governed by different legislation which provides for different treatment of benefits.

The AmeriCorps State and National program was authorized by the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA), 42 U.S.C. § 12501 et seq. The NCSA states that allowances, earnings, and payments to participants in AmeriCorps programs “shall not be considered income for the purposes of determining eligibility for and the amount of income transfer and in-kind aid furnished under any Federal or federally-assisted program based on need, other than as provided in the Social Security Act.” 42 U.S.C. § 12637(d). Based on this language, the USDA issued an opinion in 2001 stating that AmeriCorps State and National benefits are excluded from income for SNAP purposes.

if a VISTA member was receiving SNAP prior to enrolling in the VISTA program, payments to that VISTA member cannot be considered in determining the amount of or eligibility for SNAP. Furthermore, SNAP assistance may not be denied because of a participant’s failure or refusal to seek or accept employment while serving with the VISTA program. However, if a VISTA member was not receiving SNAP before entering the VISTA program, the member’s VISTA payments may be included as income in making SNAP income calculations. This information can also be found in the USDA’s implementing regulations at 7 CFR 273.9(c)(10)(iii).

Although AmeriCorps State and National and VISTA members may serve in the same community, and sometimes, with the same non-profit organization, they serve under different rules. The chart below demonstrates how a member’s benefits should be treated based on the program with which the member serves.

Also please note, VISTA recipients who were not receiving SNAP prior to joining AmeriCorps will have their income from AmeriCorps counted as Earned Income.

SNAP cases including AmeriCorps recipients are no longer being processed in a central location. They are included in the regular SNAP case flow in Current.