The QUEST card can help you buy groceries when money is tight. Call the FoodShare Helpline at 1-877-866-3635!
FoodShare is a government program that helps people stretch their budgets by providing money each month to help with buying food. Everyone enrolled in FoodShare receives a QUEST card, which is a debit-like card that is automatically loaded every month with your FoodShare benefits. You can use the QUEST card at most grocery stores and some farmers' market. It can also be used to pay for Meals on Wheels and qualified Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs!
Call the FoodShare Helpline Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 1-877-366-3635 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page. A friendly staff member will ask you a few questions about your income and expenses to determine if you might be eligible. If it looks like you might be eligible, they will set up a meeting with a FoodShare Outreach Specialist, either in person or over the phone. The Outreach Specialist will help you fill out the application and answer your questions about the program. Your application and verification documents will be sent to your local agency, who usually needs 30 days to process your application. You will complete a simple telephone interview with a caseworker so they can ask any follow-up questions. Shortly after that, you will receive a Notice of Decision in the mail to let you know if you were approved for benefits. If you are approved, your Notice of Decision will let you know how much you will receive on the QUEST card each month.
If you have received your Notice of Decision, the QUEST card usually arrives in the mail a few days later. If you were enrolled in FoodShare before, your benefits are deposited on your old card.
If you lost your QUEST card or need to know your balance, call 1-877-415-5164. Your balance will also be shown at the bottom of the receipt when you use your QUEST card.
No, the USDA estimates that nearly 1 in 5 Wisconsin residents are likely eligible for FoodShare/the QUEST card (formerly known as food stamps), but either don't know about it or are hesitant to sign up for it.
FoodShare is a benefit, like Social Security or unemployment, that we all pay for through state and federal tax dollars. FoodShare is Wisconsin's name for the federal government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Wisconsin distributes FoodShare benefits on the QUEST card.
FoodShare and the QUEST card help stretch your food budget, which means you have more money to buy healthier foods. Additionally, qualifying for FoodShare makes you eligible for free nutrition education classes. Contact your local University of Wisconsin-Extension office to sign up.
Yes! The QUEST card is how FoodShare benefits are distributed.
Yes! $20 a month equals $240 a year. Would you turn down $240 to help pay for gas, medications or other necessities? FoodShare benefits help free up your budget to pay for other bills while ensuring that you have enough to put nutritious food on the table. If you don't use all of your FoodShare benefits each month, they will accumulate on the QUEST card for up to one year. Everyone who is eligible and applies will receive benefits.
Using your QUEST card doesn't just help you stretch your budget when times get tough - it helps your community, too! The USDA estimates that every $5 of new FoodShare benefits that generates about $9 of community spending.
FoodShare supports farmers, too. Benefits can be used at some farmers' markets and for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs through participating farmers. Additionally, every $1 billion of retail food demand from FoodShare/SNAP participants generates about 3,000 farm jobs.
Yes, you may qualify for FoodShare/the QUEST card even if you have assets, including a car, a savings account, retirement savings, or own a house. Eligibility is based on income and certain expenses.
Yes, you may qualify if you are earning about $10 an hour. Visit our Eligibility page to learn more, then give us a call at 1-877-366-3635 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page.
Yes, the first step is to check if you meet the gross income limit for a family of three. Visit our Eligibility page to learn more, then give us a call at 1-877-366-3635 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page.
Yes, a family of four must first meet a gross monthly income limit of $3,726. Visit our Eligibility page to learn more, then give us a call at 1-877-366-3635 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page.
Yes, unemployment compensation is treated as income. As long as your family meets income limits, you might be eligible for FoodShare.
Yes, disability payments are treatment as income. As long as your household meets income limits, you might be eligible for FoodShare.
If you do not pay for and prepare food with other members of your household, you may apply for FoodShare on your own. If you are under the age of 22 and live with your parents, you cannot apply for FoodShare on your own. See the FAQ below for more information.
If you are under the age of 22 and live with your parents, you cannot apply for FoodShare on your own, even if you do not purchase and prepare meals with your parents. You will need to apply as a household with your parents.
If you are 22 or older, you may apply for FoodShare on your own as long as you do not purchase and prepare meals with other members of the household.
Check out our Eligibility page for more information on income guidelines.
Students have slightly more complicated eligibility requirements in addition to the income guidelines. Generally, students (ages 18 to 49) enrolled half-time or more must meet one of the following requirements to be eligible:
Students should call the FoodShare Helpline at 1-877-366-3635 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page to speak with a friendly staff member about their potential eligibility.
Even if you do not meet the citizenship or legal permanent resident status requirement, your children may still qualify for FoodShare. Call the FoodShare Helpline at 1-877-366-3635 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page to speak with our friendly staff about your family's potential eligibility.
You will need to cancel your benefits in your home state after you move to Wisconsin. Contact your caseworker in your home state for more information about canceling your benefits. After you cancel your benefits, you will need to apply for FoodShare in Wisconsin. Call the FoodShare Helpline at 1-877-366-3635 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page to get help applying.
If you are looking for information or support applying for FoodShare or other food resources, please click on the “Need Assistance?” bubble in the lower right corner.
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Feeding Wisconsin
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Madison, WI 53718
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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. 1400 Independence Avenue, SW. Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Feeding Wisconsin, 2023
