What Is Covered by Pennsylvania Food Stamps?

Pennsylvania's food stamp program is for families that need help buying food to avoid hunger and malnourishment. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, once a family qualifies for the program, based on factors such as financial resources and income, it can use the benefits to buy food products from grocery stores. In an effort to ensure the benefits go to helping recipients eat well and stay healthy, the state restricts the purchases a family can make with food stamps.

The food stamp program, known at the federal level and in Pennsylvania as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides recipients with a monthly allowance to use for food purchases. The state gives benefit recipients an Electronic Benefits Transfer Card, similar to a bankcard, which they swipe at the point of sale to make their purchases.

The state assigns a family's benefits electronically, with each set of purchases coming out of the family's monthly amount. According to federal guidelines, participating stores may not permit the use of an EBT card for off-limits purchases.

​Read More:​ How Many Times Can I Apply for Food Stamps?

Pennsylvania families may use food stamp benefits to buy most food products from supermarkets and similar stores. They also may buy seeds and plants to grow into food for the household, reveals the Pennsylvania Merchants Association.

​Read More:​ Which Stores Accept Food Stamps?

Certain food stamp recipients may use the benefits to pay for food that requires special service. For example, a disabled recipient may use the benefits to buy meals prepared by an authorized meal delivery service. Elderly recipients in group-living, drug addicts and alcoholics in a rehabilitation center, battered women and their children in a shelter and homeless recipients also may use benefits to buy prepared meals from their institution or a participating business.

Most recipients in Pennsylvania may not use food stamp benefits to buy hot foods prepared for immediate consumption. Also off limits are alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, pet food, paper products, household supplies, toiletries and medicines.

If recipients previously purchased food on credit, they may not use food stamp benefits to pay their bill. Nor can they use benefits to make advance payment for food they will receive later, except for purchases from a non-profit food cooperative.

​Read More:​ Food Stamp Do's and Don'ts

Junk food and luxury foods are eligible for purchase with food stamps in Pennsylvania and other states. Energy drinks such as Gatorade are eligible because they have a nutrition facts label. Other energy drinks, such as Red Bull, that have a supplement facts label are ineligible because the Food and Drug Administration classifies them as dietary supplements.

Gift baskets are ineligible purchases unless the value of the food items in the basket is at least ​50 percent​ of the price. On the other hand, birthday cakes are eligible unless non-edible decorations constitute more than ​50 percent​ of the value.