What is the TEFAP income limit in Mississippi?

185% of the federal poverty guidelines: $29,526 a year for a household of one and $61,050 for four (2026 guidelines). Mississippi's printed table is the official one.

Do clients sign for TEFAP food at every pickup in Mississippi?

Mississippi's public documents do not settle it; ask your food bank.

TEFAP rules by State / Mississippi

TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in Mississippi

Q: How long must Mississippi pantries keep TEFAP records?

3 years (Mid-South Food Bank partner agreement (not TEFAP-specific)).

Rules verified 2026-10-07 from MDHS Division of Economic Assistance Eligibility and food bank publications (sources below) · agency links checked 2026-10-10 · income table recalculated automatically from the 2026 federal poverty guidelines · sources re-checked weekly

In Mississippi, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by MDHS Division of Economic Assistance Eligibility. This page sets out what a food pantry or other distribution site has to do: who qualifies, what each household declares, what you record at each visit, how long you keep it, how complaints are handled and what you report. Where Mississippi's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

Mississippi's TEFAP agency and official documents

MDHS Division of Economic Assistance Eligibility — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).

Your food bank's agreement and current forms are the final word on the figures and forms to use.

Who qualifies: the income limit

Household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. Households in these programs qualify without an income test:

SNAP
TANF
SSI
Medicaid
CSFP

Household size	Per year	Per month
1	$29,526	$2,461
2	$40,034	$3,336
3	$50,542	$4,212
4	$61,050	$5,088
5	$71,558	$5,963
6	$82,066	$6,839
7	$92,574	$7,715
8	$103,082	$8,590
Each additional person	+$10,508

Computed as 185% of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. Your State's printed table is the official one and may round differently or take effect on a different date.

The eligibility declaration

How often: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents). Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

Client signature at every pickup: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents). Electronic signatures: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

Proxies

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

How long to keep records

3 years — Mid-South Food Bank partner agreement (not TEFAP-specific).

Civil rights

Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly. Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

Reporting

monthly to Mississippi Food Network.

households
individuals
new to agency

Storage temperatures

Refrigerated 35–45°F, frozen -10–0°F. Temperature log: regularly (MFN).

Where the sources disagree

No public state manual; current eligibility form not found.

Ask your food bank which one they monitor against.

Sources

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Alabama · TEFAP in Arkansas · TEFAP in Louisiana · TEFAP in Tennessee · all States

This page describes published State and food bank documents and is not legal advice. Your State agency and your food bank agreement are the final word. See also the federal TEFAP record rule and the free TEFAP readiness checklist.

Keep these records without the paperwork — free for 30 days. PantryPOS records each TEFAP visit (who picked up, household size, eligibility basis, signature where your State wants one), keeps every eligibility declaration, reconciles TEFAP stock by lot, logs civil-rights complaints and training, and shows your State's rules on screen. Every feature, no card — $39/month per site after the trial.

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