Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is a USDA Food and Nutrition Service program that provides monthly food packages of USDA Foods — canned goods, grains, dairy products, and protein items — to low-income adults aged 60 and older. Authorized under 7 U.S.C. § 612c and governed by 7 CFR Part 247, CSFP is administered through a three-tier system: FNS allocates caseload slots and funds to state agencies, which contract with local agencies (typically food banks, senior centers, community action agencies, and county health departments) to certify participants and distribute food monthly. Unlike SNAP, which provides electronic benefits redeemable at retail stores, CSFP provides physical commodity food packages assembled from USDA-purchased surplus and designated stocks. The program serves approximately 700,000–800,000 elderly adults monthly across roughly 35 participating states and territories.

Current Rule (2026)

What This Program Does

CSFP addresses food insecurity among elderly Americans through direct commodity distribution rather than cash or voucher benefits. Each month, eligible participants go to their local CSFP distribution site and receive a food package that typically includes canned fruits and vegetables, canned meat or poultry, cereals, pasta, rice, peanut butter, dried beans, and sometimes dairy products like canned evaporated milk or cheese. The specific contents vary by state based on what USDA Foods are available through FNS purchasing decisions.

The caseload allocation system is CSFP's defining structural feature. FNS sets the total national caseload and allocates slots to each participating state. States that have been in the program longer receive a base caseload; states can apply for expansion caseload in their second year, and FNS can make one-time additional caseload available when appropriations allow. When local demand exceeds allocated slots, local agencies must maintain a waiting list in application-date order — applicants are notified when a spot opens. FNS can recapture and reallocate caseload slots from states that are not utilizing them, directing the capacity to states with active waiting lists.

State and local agency roles are clearly divided. FNS provides commodities and administrative funding to state agencies. State agencies train and oversee local agencies, maintain the food storage and distribution infrastructure, and ensure compliance with FNS rules. Local agencies certify individual participants (verifying income, age, and residency), distribute food packages monthly or bimonthly, and maintain participant records.

Key Provisions

• § 247.2 — Purpose: CSFP provides nutritious USDA Foods and nutrition education to low-income participants; the food package is designed to supplement the diets of elderly adults who may not otherwise consume adequate protein, calories, and micronutrients
• § 247.7 — Eligibility: participants must be at least 60 years old and have income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level; state agencies may apply to FNS to serve other categories (WIC-eligible populations) but the current program is almost exclusively elderly-focused
• § 247.10 — Distribution: local agencies must provide each certified participant a food package every month (or a two-month supply every other month); agencies must verify identity before distribution; food packages follow FNS food package guide rates
• § 247.11 — Waiting lists: when applications exceed caseload slots, agencies maintain waiting lists with date and contact information; applicants on waiting lists must be notified when a slot opens; agencies cannot remove applicants from waiting lists without a finding of ineligibility
• § 247.15 — Eligibility notification: local agencies must notify applicants of their eligibility status (eligible, ineligible, or waitlisted) within 10 days of application
• § 247.16 — Certification period: certification must be at least 1 year; states seeking certification periods longer than 1 year must obtain FNS approval; maximum is 3 years; periodic re-certifications verify continued eligibility
• § 247.17 — Discontinuance notice: before ending a participant's benefits, local agencies must give at least 15 days' written advance notice and include a fair hearing notice; participants may request a hearing to contest the termination
• § 247.18 — Nutrition education: state agencies must develop a statewide nutrition education plan; local agencies must provide nutrition education to participants under that plan; education may be provided through shared staff with other programs (WIC, SNAP-Ed)
• § 247.19 — Anti-dual participation: agencies must verify that participants are not simultaneously receiving CSFP benefits at more than one distribution site; identity verification required at certification and recertification
• § 247.21 — Caseload assignment: FNS allocates base, expansion, and one-time additional caseload to state agencies; unused slots may be recaptured and redistributed to states with waiting lists; caseload drives administrative funding
• § 247.22 — Administrative funding: FNS pays each state agency an annual administrative grant based on allocated caseload; states must have a signed FNS agreement and a current State Plan to receive funds; administrative funds must be spent by fiscal year end or returned
• § 247.23 — State-to-local pass-through: states must pass through all administrative funding to local agencies except for a tiered retention: 15% of first $50,000, 10% of the next $150,000, 7.5% above $200,000

How It Affects You

If you are a low-income adult aged 60 or older: CSFP may provide a monthly food package at no cost, with no purchase required. The program is available in roughly 35 states and territories — not nationwide. To find out if CSFP is available in your area, contact your local Area Agency on Aging (eldercare.acl.gov) or call 211. Income eligibility is at or below 130% of the federal poverty level (approximately $19,500/year for a single person in 2025). If you meet eligibility requirements but your local program has a waiting list, you will be added in application-date order — ask to be placed on the list and you will be notified when a slot opens. You can participate in both CSFP and SNAP simultaneously; they are not mutually exclusive, and CSFP does not reduce your SNAP benefits. If you also receive WIC (if under 60), the transition to CSFP at age 60 is intentional — WIC focuses on women/infants/children while CSFP picks up older adults.

If you work at a senior center, food bank, or community action agency: CSFP is operated through local agencies like yours. To become a local CSFP distribution site, contact your state agency (typically the state Department of Agriculture or Health). Your organization would be responsible for participant certification, monthly distribution, and recordkeeping under a state agency agreement. FNS administrative grant funding flows through the state to support your operating costs. The caseload your organization receives is tied to the state's total FNS allocation — if your state has a waiting list, advocate through your state agency for additional caseload slots.

If you are a state nutrition program administrator: CSFP is one of several USDA commodity distribution programs you may administer alongside TEFAP and the National School Lunch Program. CSFP differs from TEFAP primarily in its individualized eligibility certification, caseload-based allocation, and focus on a specific population. The program requires an annual State Plan and FNS agreement. Recapture risk for unused caseload is real — FNS actively monitors utilization and will redistribute slots from underutilizing states to states with long waiting lists.

State Variations

CSFP is available only in states that have opted into the program and received FNS caseload allocations. Approximately 35 states and territories participate. Within participating states:

• Local agency networks vary widely — some states deliver through county health departments, others through food banks or community action agencies
• Food package contents may vary by state based on available USDA Foods and state purchasing preferences
• Certification periods vary; states with FNS approval may certify participants for up to 3 years without recertification
• Income verification practices vary by state — some use SNAP enrollment as presumptive CSFP eligibility, others require separate income documentation

Implementing Regulations

The FNS rules governing CSFP live at 7 CFR Part 247 — Commodity Supplemental Food Program (37 sections — the complete program rules from eligibility through caseload allocation, distribution requirements, administrative funding, and state/local agency responsibilities).

Pending Legislation

CSFP is authorized through the Farm Bill framework (7 U.S.C. § 612c). The Agricultural Extension Act of 2024 extended the 2018 Farm Bill through fiscal year 2025, maintaining CSFP authorization and funding. Farm Bill 2025 reauthorization will determine CSFP's caseload ceiling and structure for the next five-year cycle. Key considerations:

• Caseload expansion: Nutrition advocates have pushed Congress to fund additional caseload slots to address nationwide waiting lists. An estimated 200,000–500,000 eligible seniors are on CSFP waiting lists at any given time — FNS data shows demand consistently outpacing allocated slots in most participating states. The 2018 Farm Bill expanded caseload modestly; advocates are seeking a larger expansion in the 2025 reauthorization.
• Guaranteed caseload floor: Some proposals would establish a statutory minimum caseload — a floor below which appropriations could not cut the program — to protect CSFP from the year-to-year funding fluctuations that have historically created uncertainty for local agencies and waiting list management.
• DOGE and FNS staffing: The USDA Food and Nutrition Service, which administers CSFP, experienced significant staffing reductions in 2025 under DOGE-directed federal workforce cuts. Reduced FNS staff affects caseload allocation reviews, state plan approvals, and oversight of local agency compliance. State and local agencies have reported delays in FNS responses to administrative questions. No statutory changes to CSFP have been enacted, but administrative capacity reductions affect program delivery.
• Program coordination with SNAP and Meals on Wheels: Proposals to reduce administrative duplication between CSFP and SNAP (which serves a broader population including elderly) have resurfaced in Farm Bill discussions. Some advocates favor creating a unified elderly nutrition platform that combines CSFP commodity distribution, Meals on Wheels, and SNAP elderly waiver provisions into a single enrollment process — reducing barriers for eligible seniors who currently navigate multiple applications.