Arizona EBT and Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)

Two websites: HEAplus to apply, MyFamilyBenefits to manage

Arizona splits online services between two sites. Health-e-Arizona Plus (HEAplus) is the joint application for Nutrition Assistance, Cash Assistance and AHCCCS health coverage. You can also renew there and upload or fax verification documents^31,2. HEAplus blocks connections from outside the United States. If it shows an access warning, turn off any VPN. Near the Mexican border, where a signal can route abroad, wait 20 to 30 minutes or try another internet provider³⁰.

MyFamilyBenefits is for an open food or cash case. Use it to see status and benefit amounts, report changes, upload documents, answer your Mid Approval Contact, print notices and download a Proof of Eligibility card^24,3. Sign-in uses a second step by text, voice call or email, and each account needs its own email address²⁴. For text reminders, text JOINFAA to 86684 (UNIRFAA for Spanish)²³.

Health-e-Arizona Plus and MyFamilyBenefits

The QUEST card: PIN, replacements and theft

Food and cash benefits share one QUEST card from Fidelity National Information Services (FIS). DES mails it after your interview, often before the approval notice, and sometimes even if you are denied. Keep it: the card does not expire^3,4. Set or change the four-digit PIN by calling 1-888-997-9333 (TTY 1-800-367-8939), in the ebtEDGE app, or at ebtedge.us. Four wrong PIN entries lock it until midnight^4,13.

The first replacement card in a calendar year is free; each one after that costs $5. Replacements are mailed within two workdays and should arrive within five^4,13. DES says the card is not insured and suggests freezing it in ebtEDGE between uses and keeping a low balance⁴.

Arizona replaced skimmed benefits only under the federal program that ended December 20, 2024. The last day to report was February 4, 2025^4,15. If your card is replaced after electronic theft, the $5 fee is waived¹⁵. DES card pages and the manual, checked October 16, 2026, do not mention chip cards^4,13. If 10% or more of your benefits are used outside Arizona over six months, DES may send you questions about it⁴.

• Card customer service: 1-888-997-9333
• Cardholder website: ebtEDGE
• Cardholder app: ebtEDGE (iPhone, Android)
• EBT processor: FIS

Arizona SNAP and EBT phone numbers

Applying for Nutrition Assistance in Arizona

1. Apply in Health-e-Arizona Plus. One HEAplus application can also request Cash Assistance and AHCCCS health coverage. DES calls it the easiest way to apply^2,31.
2. Or use paper, an office or a Community Assistor. Print form FAA-0001A (English or Spanish) or call 1-855-432-7587 to have one mailed; mailing and fax instructions are on the form. DES offices and community Assistors can also help^2,3.
3. Gather proof. Bring ID, Social Security numbers, proof of citizenship or immigration status, income for this month and last, your most recent bank statement, rent, recent utility bills, child care costs and child support paid. Medical bills over $35 count if someone is 60+ or disabled².
4. Complete the eligibility interview. Call the Statewide Interview Line at 1-855-777-8590 (Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-3 p.m.) or visit any DES office (Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.). Save 86684 and DES's numbers so you recognize the call^2,5.
5. Watch the mail for the QUEST card and decision. The QUEST card usually arrives before the approval letter. Track the case in HEAplus or MyFamilyBenefits and send copies, never originals, of anything DES requests^2,3.

DES decides within 30 days, or within seven days if you qualify for expedited benefits^2,14. Approved benefits are on the card by 5:00 a.m. the next day, Monday through Saturday¹⁴. You can appeal a denial, a stop or a late decision².

If everyone applying is 65 or older with no earnings, the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) offers a short form (FAA-1821A), its own line at 1-855-234-4960, a 36-month approval and no Mid Approval Contact²².

Arizona's 200% gross income limits for FY2027

Gross limit: 200% of the 2026 HHS poverty guideline divided by 12, rounded up. Net limit and maximum benefit: USDA FY2027 cost-of-living adjustments. All states compared.

DES's manual lists its 200% chart (effective March 1, 2026)⁷. The table here is calculated from the HHS 2026 poverty guidelines for FY2027, and DES's own chart rounds up in places, so a figure may differ from DES's by a dollar. The same 200% line triggers a report after approval⁶.

DES's FY2027 worked example for a five-person household uses a $268 standard deduction and a $769 housing cost deduction, and DES lists a $160 standard medical deduction for elderly or disabled members from October 1, 2026³. Utility allowances vary by household size; the table shows the 1-3 person amounts^3,8. College students need 80 paid work hours in 30 days, work-study or an exemption, such as single parents caring for a child under 12³³.

Net income test. Households under the 200% line qualify through expanded categorical eligibility. DES treats them as passing the gross and net income tests and the resource test, so only the benefit calculation uses net income¹⁰. Above 200%, a household is no longer categorically eligible, and DES applies the regular gross and net income tests and the resource limit instead^10,9.

Assets. Categorically eligible households have no resource limit^9,29. For households that are not, the FY2027 limit is $3,000, or $4,750 when a member is 60 or older or disabled; the $4,750 figure took effect October 1, 2026⁹. A case closed because of lottery or gambling winnings at or over the reporting amount loses categorical eligibility. At reapplication, any remaining winnings count as a resource⁹.

Deposit days by last name, the 1st to the 13th

Benefits load between the 1st and 13th of each month, by the first letter of the Primary Informant's last name, two letters per day.

The letter that counts is the last name of the case's Primary Informant. The schedule starts after your first month; first-month benefits load when DES approves the case^3,14. Cash Assistance always loads on the 1st¹⁴. The ebtEDGE app shows the schedule and 60 days of transactions⁴.

Approval periods, the Mid Approval Contact and renewal

Most households are approved for 12 months; households where everyone is 60+ or disabled with no earnings get 24 months, and ESAP and AZSNAP households 36¹¹. Midway, most households get a Mid Approval Contact (MAC) notice, mailed in month 5 (12-month cases) or month 11 (24-month cases). It asks about moves, shelter costs, household members, income changes, child support and winnings. Answer it in MyFamilyBenefits, by phone or on paper, or benefits can stop^12,24.

Between contacts, report by the 10th of the next month if gross income passes 200% of poverty, someone wins $4,750 or more in one game, or an ABAWD's work drops below 80 hours a month. Report in MyFamilyBenefits, at 1-855-432-7587 or on form FAA-0412A⁶. When the period ends, DES mails a renewal letter and a new application is needed^2,11.

Rules specific to Arizona

No soda or candy ban: the Legislature's bill was vetoed

Arizona has no USDA food restriction waiver (USDA list updated October 13, 2026)¹⁸. HB 2396 would have required DES to request one. It passed both chambers, and Governor Hobbs vetoed it on February 20, 2026¹⁹. Soft drinks and candy stay SNAP-eligible; alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medicine and hot foods do not³.

Restaurant Meals Program for elderly, disabled and homeless households

If everyone in the household is 60+, disabled or homeless (or an eligible member's spouse), the QUEST card already works for prepared meals at participating restaurants and some grocery delis. DES updates the restaurant list quarterly, and restaurants should not charge sales tax on these meals¹.

Work rules: ABAWD limit with Yuma County and six tribal areas waived

Adults 18 to 64 without an exemption get 3 months in the period January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027 unless they work or train 20 hours a week. Exemptions include caring for a child under 14 and being an Indian, Urban Indian or California Indian¹⁶. From March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027, the limit is waived in Yuma County and the Cocopah, Hualapai, Maricopa (Ak Chin), Salt River, San Carlos and Pascua Pueblo Yaqui reservation areas^17,16,32.

SUN Bucks paid $120 per child in summer 2026

With the Department of Education, DES paid eligible children a one-time $120 in summer 2026, usable for 122 days. Nutrition and Cash Assistance families got it on their QUEST card in June; others got a mailed card. Applications closed August 3, 2026. Keep the card for future summers²⁰.

Double Up Food Bucks and online grocery orders

Spend $1 in SNAP and get $1 more for Arizona-grown produce, up to $20 a day, at participating farmers markets^3,21. DES names Walmart, Amazon and Aldi for online orders³.

Other assistance in Arizona

Sources

1. Nutrition Assistance (NA), Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
2. How to Apply for Nutrition Assistance, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
3. Nutrition Assistance Frequently Asked Questions, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
4. Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
5. Contact DES regarding Nutrition, Cash, and Medical Assistance Benefits, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
6. Change Report for Nutrition, Cash, and Medical Assistance Benefits, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
7. CNAP Manual FAA6.J: NA 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
8. CNAP Manual FAA6.J: Utility Allowance Current Amount, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
9. CNAP Manual FAA6.J: Maximum NA Resource Limit, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
10. CNAP Manual FAA5.I: NA Categorical Eligibility, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
11. CNAP Manual FAA5.I: NA Approval Periods, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
12. CNAP Manual FAA6.A: NA Mid Approval Contact (MAC), Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
13. CNAP Manual FAA5.J: Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) QUEST Card, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
14. CNAP Manual FAA5.J: EBT Benefit Issuance and Availability, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
15. CNAP Manual FAA5.J: Replacement Issuance of Stolen Benefits, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
16. Work Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
17. ABAWD Waiver Response, Arizona (implementation March 1, 2026; expiration February 28, 2027), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Checked 16 October 2026.
18. SNAP Food Restriction Waivers (page updated October 13, 2026), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
19. HB 2396 (2026): SNAP; allowed purchases; waiver, bill status, Arizona State Legislature. Checked 16 October 2026.
20. SUN Bucks Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT), Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
21. Double Up Food Bucks, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
22. Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP), Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
23. Get Updates and Reminders About Your Applications and Benefits from MyDES Connect, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
24. MyFamilyBenefits Frequently Asked Questions, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
25. Apply for Cash Assistance (CA), Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
26. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
27. AZWIC, Arizona Department of Health Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
28. Who Can Apply? (AHCCCS), Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Checked 16 October 2026.
29. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (page updated June 29, 2026), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
30. Health-e-Arizona Plus access notice (U.S.-only access), Health-e-Arizona Plus, State of Arizona. Checked 16 October 2026.
31. Health-e-Arizona Plus Application for Benefits, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.
32. Status of State ABAWD Time Limit Waivers, Fiscal Year 2027, 1st Quarter, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
33. Student Eligibility for Nutrition Assistance, Arizona Department of Economic Security. Checked 16 October 2026.