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The Department provides an equivalent State funded food assistance program to households that would be eligible for Federal SNAP benefits but for their immigration status subject to the conditions described in this paragraph (“State Funded SNAP”). State Funded SNAP is only potentially available for individuals who are ineligible for Federal SNAP, if an individual is eligible for Federal SNAP that is the assistance they will receive.
A. Verification
Acceptable Verification
In order to render a final eligibility determination, the Department will need to have received—
(a) For status types that are not reflected in a data match with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the “Acceptable Verifications” are detailed within that type below.
NOTE: this process applies to types that are never reflected in the DHS system, not instances that a particular individual’s status cannot be verified through the DHS system at a particular time.
(b) For status types that are reflected in the DHS system, a data match with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Supplemental Verification
Supplemental Verification serves two purposes:
These documents may aid the Department in securing required data matches.
In instances where a response from DHS indicates that DHS cannot yet provide a definitive result due to technical error, the Department shall honor the attested to status on the supplemental verification until such time that a data match response is received from DHS.
A data match or electronic verification through the Department of Justice (DOJ), Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is the preferred Supplemental Verification.
Controlling Verification Type
Once the Department acquires a definitive result from DHS, it is the controlling verification type. Should there be a discrepancy between this data match and the status attested to by the individual the Department shall—
use the status verified through the data match for all eligibility determinations and
provide the individual with contact information to resolve the conflict with DHS.
B. Grandfathered Individuals who meet the following conditions are potentially eligible for State Funded SNAP
(1) Description
Individuals who were receiving or had a pending application for federally funded Food Stamps, Food Supplement or SNAP benefits as of January 1, 2012.
(2) Special Conditions
(a) the individual must have been determined eligible back to January 1, 2012 and
(b) have had no subsequent lapse in eligibility.
(3) Acceptable Verification of this type is documentation in Maine’s eligibility system of uninterrupted eligibility since January 1, 2012 or a combination of documentation in Maine’s eligibility system and benefit award letters from other states or territories showing uninterrupted eligibility since January 1, 2012.
C. Individuals with the following noncitizen types are potentially eligible for State Funded SNAP provided they meet applicable Special Conditions for State Funded SNAP in Paragraph 4(D)
(1) Individuals who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence as defined in 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(20) (“LPRs”) except that they do not meet the special circumstances, conditions, or other statuses for Federal SNAP listed in Paragraph 3.
NOTE: To be eligible for state funded benefits these individuals must, also, meet one or more of the conditions detailed in Subparagraph D(1), (2), or (5) below.
(2) Individuals who were members of groups eligible for Federal SNAP benefits prior to July 4, 2025.
(a) Certain individuals who have been battered and certain relatives of theirs
(i) Description
a) individuals granted and retaining immigrant status under the conditions of 8 U.S.C. § 1154(a)(1)(A)(iii), (iv), (v)(I)(cc), (vii), 1154(a)(1)(B)(ii), (iii), or (iv)(I)(cc).
b) individuals granted immigrant status under the conditions of 8 U.S.C. § 1154(a)(1)(A)(iii), (iv), (v)(I)(cc), (vii), or 1154(a)(1)(B)(ii), (iii), (iv)(I)(cc) who did not have it terminated and now have a different status such as Lawful Permanent Resident.
NOTE: Generally speaking, these are spouses and children of individuals lawfully in the U.S. who were battered while in the U.S. or are the parent or unmarried child of the battered individual. They must not be currently residing with the batterer.
(ii) Acceptable Verification of this type is—
a) a letter or other document from DHS, a court, or a law enforcement agency demonstrating a substantial likelihood that the individual, their parent, or their minor child was the victim of abuse by their spouse, or parent, or a family member there of that contains the individual’s full name and at least one of the following:
1) the individual’s social security number,
2) the individual’s immigration related A-Number,
3) the individual’s passport number, or
4) the individual’s date of birth.
and
b) a data match with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showing a lawful presence.
iii) Supplemental Verification
To aid in the verification process, individuals with this noncitizen status are encouraged to provide the most current version of a letter or other document from DHS stating that the individual has a lawful presence that contains the individual’s full name and at least one of the following:
a) the individual’s social security number,
b) the individual’s immigration related A-Number,
c) the individual’s passport number, or
d) the individual’s date of birth.
However, even with verification of lawful presences, this status is not verified without the verification of the abuse listed in ii(a).
(b) Certain individuals who have been paroled into the U.S. for one year or more for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
(i) Description
Individuals granted, for at least one year, and currently retaining immigrant status under the conditions of 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5).
(c) Certain individuals who were granted conditional entrance prior to April 1, 1980.
(i) Description
Individuals granted conditional entrance per 8 U.S.C. § 1153(a)(7) as it was in effect May 31, 1980. The text of this law can be found at https://uscode.house.gov/statviewer.htm?volume=79&page=912#.
Individuals may also request copies by writing to:
Rules Manager
Maine DHHS, Office for Family Independence
11 State House Station
109 Capitol St.
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
(ii) Acceptable Verification of this type is a data match with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showing conditional entrance granted prior to April 1, 1980.
(d) The following individuals or groups are potentially eligible for State Funded SNAP prior to obtaining an adjusted status to LPR as described in Paragraph 3(B)(3) above.
(i) North American indigenous people born in Canada (See Paragraph 3(B)(3)(vii)).
(ii) Indigenous peoples eligible for special programs and services (See Paragraph 3(B)(3)(viii).
(iii) Individuals with certain prior humanitarian immigration statuses (See Paragraph 3(B)(3)(ix)).
(iv) Certain Hmong and Highland Laotians (See Paragraph 3(B)(3)(x).
(v) Certain Amerasians (See Paragraph 3(B)(3)(xi).
(vi) Certain victims of severe forms of trafficking (See Paragraph 3(B)(3)(xii)).
(3) Certain asylum seekers
(a) Description
Individuals who have filed an application for asylum and for withholding of removal with DHS or the DOJ immigration court.
(b) Supplemental Verification
To aid in the verification process, individuals with this noncitizen status are encouraged to provide the most current version of a letter or other document from DHS or DOJ stating that an application for asylum on behalf of the individual has been received that contains the individual’s full name and at least one of the following:
(i) the individual’s social security number,
(ii) the individual’s immigration related A-Number,
(iii) the individual’s passport number, or
(iv) the individual’s date of birth.
Certain individuals with temporary protected status
Description
Individuals who have been granted and retain temporary protected status per 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a).
Supplemental Verification
To aid in the verification process, individuals with this noncitizen status are encouraged to provide the most current version of a letter or other document from DHS stating that individual has been granted temporary protected status that contains the individual’s full name and at least one of the following:
(i) the individual’s social security number,
(ii) the individual’s immigration related A-Number,
(iii) the individual’s passport number, or
(iv) the individual’s date of birth.
D. Special Conditions for State Funded SNAP
In addition to the requirements of Subparagraph C, above, at least one of the following special circumstances must be met for individuals to be potentially eligible for State Funded SNAP:
(1) The individual is 65 years of age or older as evidenced by any government issued document
(2) The individual has a disabling condition
Description
The individual meets the definition of blind or disabled per 42 U.S.C. 1382c.
Acceptable verification of this condition is—
(i) the individual receiving disability related cash or medical assistance from OFI,
(ii) a data match with the Social Security Administration (SSA) showing the individual is receiving disability related cash or medical assistance from them,
(iii) a letter or other document from SSA showing the individual is eligible for disability related medical or cash assistance, or a favorable disability determination that contains the individual’s full name and either their date of birth or social security number; or
(iv) a current favorable disability determination from Maine’s Medical Review Team.
The individual cannot legally work
(a) Description
(i) the individual is subject to and within a waiting period before they can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or
(ii) the individual is eligible for an EAD and has applied for it but has not received it.
(b) Acceptable verification of this condition is—
a data match with DHS showing that the individual is subject to and within a waiting period to apply for an EAD;
(ii) a data match with DHS showing that the individual has applied for Employment Authorization but has not yet received it; or
(iii) verification that the individual is an asylum seeker (See Subparagraph C(3)(b) of this paragraph), and that same verification shows that the application was received recently enough that the individual is still within the waiting period to apply for an EAD.
(iv) for a child under 18 verifications also includes either—
a birth certificate or adoption record naming the person verified as eligible through i, ii, or iii above as the individual’s parent or
b) a signed affidavit from the individual verified as eligible through i, ii, or iii above that the child is theirs.
(c) Supplemental Verification
To aid in the verification process, individuals with this special consideration are encouraged to provide the most current version of a letter or other document from DHS stating that they have received an application for an EAD from the individual. The document must contain the individual’s full name and at least one of the following:
(i) the individual’s social security number,
(ii) the individual’s immigration related A-Number,
(iii) the individual’s passport number, or
(iv) the individual’s date of birth.
(4) The individual or their parent was issued an EAD but is currently unemployed
(a) Description
(i) the individual was issued an EAD but has not found employment;
(ii) the individual was issued an EAD and lost all forms of employment; or
(iii) the individual is under 18 years of age and one or more of their parents in their household fits i or ii above.
(b) Acceptable verification of this condition is—
(i) verification of the end of any known employment consistent with Sections 222-5(2)(E), 555-2 p. 2, 666-6(2)(D)(3) and (3)(C)(2), and 666-9(5)(A)(1), and—
(ii) either
a) prior information in the OFI system that the individual received an EAD; or
b) a data match with DHS showing that the individual received an EAD.
(iii) for a child under 18 verifications also includes either—
a birth certificate or adoption record naming the person verified as eligible through i and ii above as the individual’s parent; or
b) a signed affidavit from the individual verified as eligible through i and ii above that the child is theirs.
(5) The Individual’s household is experiencing the effects of domestic violence
Description
One or more members of the household are experiencing domestic violence or the effects thereof by a spouse, a parent, or a member of the spouse’s or parent’s family residing in the same household as the applicant including—
(i) physical acts/threats of physical injury;
(ii) sexual abuse or assault of a child or caretaker of a child; or
(iii) psychological effects of abuse.
(b) Acceptable verification of this condition is a letter or other document that indicates the household member is experiencing domestic violence or the effect thereof from:
(i) DHS,
(ii) a court,
(iii) a law enforcement agency,
(iv) a governmental child or adult protective agency,
(v) a licensed social worker, or
(vi) a medical professional.
(c) The letter or other document must contain the household member’s full name and at least one of the following:
(i) their social security number,
(ii) their immigration related A-Number,
(iii) their passport number,
(iv) their date of birth, or
(v) in the case of verification from other offices within Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services or medical providers working with MaineCare, the household member’s identification number within OFI’s eligibility system.
(d) If documentation from (b) above cannot be obtained, a signed statement from:
(i) the individual,
(ii) the head of household, or
(iii) their authorized representative,
attesting to:
1. the Domestic Violence circumstances,
2. ongoing effects thereof, and
3. why no document from (b) above can be obtained.
b. Containing the household member’s full name and at least one of the following:
1. their social security number,
2. their immigration related A-Number,
3. their passport number, or
4. their date of birth.
NOTE: Supporting documentation may be required if articulable doubt exists regarding the credibility of the provided self-attested statements or forms.