CSFP Food Box Checker 2026: Do You Qualify, and Who to Call in Your State

If you have been reading about the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, the free monthly box of USDA Foods for adults 60 and older, this page is the practical next step. Guides to the program explain what CSFP is and how the application works; the checker below answers the question that is left: with my income and my household, do I qualify, and who do I call in my state?

It uses the 2026 income guidelines that USDA sent to state agencies, for every household size and with the separate figures for Alaska and Hawaii, and USDA’s own directory of the agencies that run CSFP in each state. It shows the limit that decided your answer next to your number. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

How the checker reads your income

CSFP counts gross income: the amount before income tax, Social Security tax, insurance premiums and other deductions. For most people 60 and older, that means the full Social Security benefit before the Medicare Part B premium is taken out, plus any pension, wages, annuity or rental income, for everyone in the household. The figure on your bank statement is usually lower than the one the agency will use.

Federal rules also list money that must not be counted. Among the items that matter most for older adults: payments from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), federal disaster relief payments, Agent Orange settlement payments and the value of SNAP benefits. A state may also choose to leave out the value of in-kind housing. If one of these is part of what you receive, take it out of the number you type.

Income that goes up and down gets a second look. A state may let its local agencies compare the household’s average income over the past 12 months with its current income and use whichever reflects the household’s situation better. If you worked part of last year and stopped, ask the agency which method it uses before you assume you are over the limit.

Why the checker shows two income lines

Since a federal rule published in October 2024, 7 CFR 247.9 lets each state set its CSFP income limit at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. Every year USDA sends the states a table with the dollar amounts, and the 2026 table lists two columns: 150%, the federal ceiling, and 130%, for states that use that lower line. USDA does not publish a list of which states use which line, so the checker does not guess.

That gives three possible answers. At or below the 130% line, you fit any state’s limit. Between 130% and 150%, it depends on the line your state chose, and the phone call to the state agency settles it in a minute. Above 150%, you are over every state’s income limit, and the only remaining route is the one in the next section.

The dollar amounts move every year, after the Department of Health and Human Services publishes new poverty guidelines in January. USDA posted the 2026 figures in February 2026 and told state agencies to apply them immediately; they are replaced when the 2027 table comes out.

Getting SNAP, SSI or Extra Help? You may not need to show income

Federal rules allow a state to accept, as income-eligible, anyone who documents that they are certified for SNAP, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Supplemental Security Income, the Low Income Subsidy (better known as Extra Help with Medicare drug costs) or a Medicare Savings Program. People who qualify this way are not held to the income limit at all. The same rules let a state accept proof of participation in its own programs that check income against a limit at or below the CSFP limit.

This is optional for each state, which is why the checker marks it as “may qualify” rather than “eligible”. In practice it is often the fastest application: bring the approval letter from SNAP, Social Security or Medicare, and the agency may not need anything else to confirm income.

What comes in the box, and how often

CSFP packages are built from USDA Foods chosen for the nutrients older adults often lack. The food groups USDA lists are milk and cheese, juice, farina, oats and ready-to-eat cereal, rice and pasta, peanut butter and dry beans, canned meat, poultry or fish, and canned fruits and vegetables. The list of foods available to states for the coming year includes items such as low-sodium canned green beans, carrots and spinach, canned peaches and pears in extra light syrup, dry pinto beans and lentils, canned chicken and beef stew. States order from that list, so the exact contents of a box change from month to month and from state to state.

The local agency hands out one package each month, or a two-month supply every other month, and it checks the identity of the participant or of the proxy who picks it up for them. The program is clear on two points: the food is free, and no agency may ask you to pay, buy something or provide a service in exchange for it. USDA also describes the box as a supplement, not a complete diet, which is why the checker lists other food programs in the result.

Why your state agency may send you somewhere else

CSFP runs in parts of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, plus a few tribal programs. “Parts of” is the important phrase. State agencies receive a fixed number of monthly spots from USDA and pass them to local agencies, which are public or nonprofit organizations such as food banks. Those local agencies take the application, decide eligibility and hand out the food. The state agency’s job, when you call, is to tell you which local agency covers your address.

Two other rules can come up. A state may require that applicants live in the local agency’s service area, but it may not require a minimum time living there. And a state may require that applicants be at nutritional risk, as judged by a doctor or by local agency staff. When every spot is taken, the local agency must keep a waiting list with your application date and contact you when a spot opens.

Once approved, you are certified for at least one year and at most three, depending on the state. For longer periods, the agency checks your address and income once a year.

Combining CSFP with other help

Receiving the CSFP box does not rule out other food programs. USDA’s fact sheet lists SNAP, The Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program among those CSFP participants may also be eligible for, and local CSFP agencies also refer participants to other programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid and Medicare. If you already get SNAP, the CSFP box adds to it; SNAP benefits themselves are not counted as income for CSFP.

People on Medicare have one more place to look. Some Medicare Advantage plans include a grocery or healthy food allowance, and which plans offer one depends on the county.

Common questions

Is my spouse’s income counted if only I am 60 or older? Yes. The limit is for the whole household, so the checker asks for everyone’s combined income and the number of people who live with you.

Can someone pick up the box for me? Yes. You can name a proxy, and the agency checks that person’s identity at pickup.

Does the checker send my answers anywhere? No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you type is transmitted or saved.

The phone number did not work. What now? The checker shows the number USDA lists for your state and the date that entry was last updated. If it no longer works, use the agency website or the link to the USDA directory, or call 211 and ask for the CSFP provider near you.

This page is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Nutrition Administration or any state or local agency. Income limits come from the 2026 CSFP income guidelines and the rules from 7 CFR Part 247, both checked on the date shown in the result. Your state and local agency make the final decision, and applying is always free.