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Vermonters with Disabilities
Nearly 70,000 Vermonters use 3SquaresVT benefits every month. We all pay into 3SquaresVT and have a right to access the program. 3SquaresVT can help you stretch your budget if you’re living on a fixed income.
3SquaresVT is a federal program that helps many Vermonters stretch their food budgets. Certain rules of the program make it even easier for Vermonters with disabilities to receive 3SquaresVT.
Apply with 3SquaresVT in a SNAP
3SquaresVT in a SNAP (3SNP) is the easiest way for people in Vermont with disabilities to receive 3SquaresVT benefits. You can apply for 3SquaresVT and Fuel benefits all in one simple application. Vermont households where everyone is 60+ or receiving disability benefits with no earned income may qualify for this simpler application.
How does it work? +
Eligibility is determined by household income and expenses but Vermonters with disabilities do not have to meet income limits, and there is no resource limit like owning a car or house or having a certain amount of savings. If everyone in the household receives disability benefits, such as Veteran's Disability, Social Security disability or blindness payments, 3SquaresVT benefits are deposited as cash directly into a bank account.
You may be able to get a higher monthly 3SquaresVT benefit if you have medical costs not covered by insurance. Medical costs are things like: over-the-counter medications; insurance premiums; medical supplies; dentures; prescriptions; and a home health aid (nurse).
Once enrolled, you will get money every month to buy groceries at supermarkets, natural food stores, farmers markets, and anywhere in the U.S. that accepts 3SquaresVT. This money can be directly deposited as cash in a bank account or on an EBT card that looks and works like a debit card.
How much can I get? +
Monthly benefit amounts are based on households' net income and expenses. Check out our 3SquaresVT Eligibility Screener to see how much you may be eligible to receive.
| Household Size | Maximum Benefit |
|---|---|
| 1 | $291 |
| 2 | $535 |
| 3 | $766 |
| 4 | $973 |
| 5 | $1,155 |
| 6 | $1,386 |
| For each additional member | add $219 |
These limits are effective October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024
Where can I use 3SquaresVT? +
A trip to the grocery store with 3SquaresVT looks the same as anyone else. Simply go to your favorite grocery store and shop for groceries like:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Dairy products
- Breads and cereals
- Other foods such as snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages
- Seeds and plants that produce food for you to eat!
When you’re ready to check out, use your 3SquaresVT EBT card at the register just like a debit card. If you receive your 3SquaresVT benefits as cash into your bank account, simply use your debit card or pay with cash.
You can use your 3SquaresVT benefits at over 600 retailers and 40 farmers markets in VT, and anywhere in the U.S. that accepts EBT. Click here to find a store near you that accepts 3SquaresVT benefits as payment. Click here to learn more about buying food at farmers markets!
Maintaining 3SquaresVT benefits +
If your application is approved, you will not need to reapply for benefits until the end of your certification period. If everyone in your 3SquaresVT household has a disability, you may be able to get 3SquaresVT benefits for up to 3 years before you will be asked to fill out another application.
Halfway through your certification period, you’ll need to complete an interim report (unless you enrolled via 3SquaresVT in a SNAP), which is a short paper form. This form will ask if any of your information has changed since applying. At this time you can report any changes. It must be returned to Economic Services before the deadline or benefits will stop. There is no interview at this time.
Six weeks before the end of your certification period, you will be mailed a recertification form; complete and return it to Economic Services for review. If your recertification is approved, you will be approved for another certification of 3SquaresVT benefits. If denied, you will have an interview with a caseworker. The following changes must be reported within 10 days after the month in which the change occured:
- If anyone in the household is newly employed or self-employed
- If anyone in the household moves in/out
- If anyone in the household has a baby
If you have questions about reporting changes, to report changes over the phone, or to get a form, call Economic Services at 1-800-479-6151. If you are over 60, call the Vermont HelpLine at 1-800-642-5119.
In fact, getting 3SquaresVT may even help you qualify for other services, like assistance with your phone bill. Learn more about other program benefits.
