TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in West Virginia
In West Virginia, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by WV Dept of Agriculture, Food Distribution Program. 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 West Virginia's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.
West Virginia's TEFAP agency and official documents
- WV Dept of Agriculture, Food Distribution Program — the State agency's food distribution page, which covers TEFAP (checked 2026-10-10).
Who qualifies: the income limit
Household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: Food Pantry Recipient Application (effective 10 Feb 2026)). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:
- SNAP
| 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 |
The eligibility declaration
Form: Food Pantry Recipient Application. How often: annual form. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.
What to record at each visit
- recipient or proxy signature
- date received
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
proxy signs the receipt page. The proxy does not have to show ID.
What you must not collect
- ID cannot be required to receive TEFAP food.
How long to keep records
4 years — 3 years + current (Mountaineer Food Bank).
Civil rights
Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly. Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: annual (WVDA coordinator trains agencies).
Posted or handed out:
- poster
- complaint forms (English + Spanish)
Reporting
monthly to food bank ordering portal, due by the 7th.
- total households
- total individuals
- newly registered households
- unduplicated households
"New" household: newly registered households (Mountaineer).
Storage temperatures
Refrigerated 33–41°F, frozen at or below 0°F. Temperature log: routinely.
Also
- Client agrees to receive TEFAP only at one pantry; no SSN; late stats = no TEFAP allocation next month (Mountaineer).
Where the sources disagree
- State Plan: signature only at application; the application's receipt page has a per-pickup signature column.
Ask your food bank which one they monitor against.
Sources
- agriculture.wv.gov/tefap-application/
- mountaineerfoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1.29.2026-Member-Agency-Handbook.pdf
TEFAP in nearby States
TEFAP in Kentucky · TEFAP in Maryland · TEFAP in Ohio · TEFAP in Virginia · all States