SNAP Income Limits by Household Size 2026

Updated July 29, 2026. SNAP income limits are set each federal fiscal year by the USDA Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA), formerly the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The FY2026 figures below are effective Oct. 1, 2025–Sep. 30, 2026 and apply in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia; Alaska and Hawaii use higher amounts.

The three income thresholds SNAP uses

Most households must pass two tests. The gross income test, set at 130% of the federal poverty level (FPL), looks at total household income before deductions. The net income test, set at 100% of the FPL, applies after allowable deductions are subtracted. Households that include a member age 60 or older, or a member with a qualifying disability, generally skip the gross test and need only meet the net limit.

A third threshold, 165% of the FPL, applies only to a narrow separate-household rule: a person age 60 or older who cannot purchase and prepare meals separately because of a permanent disability (together with their spouse) may generally be treated as their own SNAP household if the income of the others they live with is at or below 165% of the FPL.

FY2026 SNAP income limits by household size

Figures are monthly, effective Oct. 1, 2025–Sep. 30, 2026, for the 48 contiguous states and DC (Alaska and Hawaii differ).

Deductions that lower your net income

• Standard deduction: $209 for households of 1–3, $223 for 4, $261 for 5, $299 for 6 or more (FY2026, 48 states + DC).
• Earned income: 20% of earnings is deducted.
• Shelter: excess shelter costs are capped at $744, but the cap is removed for households with an elderly or disabled member; a homeless shelter deduction of $198.99 may apply.
• Medical: elderly or disabled members may deduct out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 per month; dependent-care costs for work, training, or education are also deductible.

Resource limits and why your state may allow more

The FY2026 resource limit is $3,000, or $4,500 for households with a member who is 60+ or disabled. Most states use Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE), which can raise the gross income cutoff and effectively waive the resource limit; the specifics vary by state, so the federal table above is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Net income and non-financial rules still apply in BBCE states. If you are near the line, it may still be worth applying — confirm your local cutoff with your state SNAP agency.

How the limits connect to your benefit

Meeting the limits does not by itself set your payment. If approved, your monthly benefit is generally the maximum allotment for your household size minus 30% of your net income. For FY2026 the maximum allotment is $298 for one person and $994 for four (48 states + DC), and the minimum benefit for one- and two-person households is $24.

Work rules are separate from income limits

Able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) also face a work-related time limit. Under P.L. 119-21 (enacted July 4, 2025), and per FNA’s official implementation memorandum of Oct. 3, 2025, current law applies the time limit to adults ages 18–64, narrows the dependent-child exception to a child under 14, and removes the former exceptions for veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster youth up to age 24, while adding an exception for Indians, Urban Indians, and California Indians as defined in the IHCIA. Note: FNA’s public work-requirements page still showed the older ages 18–54 text and old exceptions as of late July 2026, so you may see conflicting information; both sources are linked below. See our SNAP work requirements explained guide for the full picture.

Sources

• FNA (formerly FNS) — SNAP Eligibility (.gov)
• FNA — SNAP FY2026 COLA Memo (.gov, PDF)
• FNA — SNAP Special Rules for the Elderly or Disabled (.gov)
• FNA — ABAWD Exceptions Implementation Memo, Oct. 3, 2025 (.gov, PDF)
• FNA — SNAP Work Requirements page (.gov; not yet updated for P.L. 119-21)

Last fact-check: July 29, 2026

Editorial status: Independent subject-matter review has not been completed.