Food Stamp (SNAP) Income Eligibility Levels, Deductions and Benefit Allotment Payments

See this updated article for the latest program information on Food Stamp (SNAP) benefits, emergency allotments (EA) and eligibility levels.

Historical SNAP information is shown below for reference only.

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2017 Update – The USDA has published 2017 details for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  The income thresholds and monthly benefit details are valid till September 2017 and reflect minor increases over last years levels. You can see prior year levels in the updates below.

 

Prior update – The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has reported that the SNAP program funding is likely to see significant cuts if the the House Budget Committee-approved budget plan is passed. More than $150 billion is proposed to be cut from the program (over 20 percent) over the next ten years (2017-2026). This works out to an average of more than $40 per person per month in 2021 to 2026. Families of four would face benefit cuts of about $165 a month in fiscal year 2021, or almost $2,000 per year. All families of three would face cuts of about $130 per month, or almost $1,550 per year.

[Updated with 2016 Information] The USDA has published 2016 details for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  The income thresholds and monthly benefit details are valid till September 2016. You can see prior year levels in the updates below.

2016 Food Stamp Income Guidelines

2016 SNAP benefit allotment.

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[Updated with 2014 Information] The USDA has published 2014 details for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  The income thresholds and monthly benefit details are valid till September 2014. You can see 2013 levels in the update below. 2014 allotments have dropped due to the failure of Congress to extend the 2009 stimulus funding for the Food Stamp/SNAP program. Hence millions of Americans who rely on this program are going to see a cut in their benefits. The overall cut to the the program is around $5 billon dollars with the CBPP estimating the average cut will be $29 per month for a family of four.

Household sizeGross monthly income ($)Net monthly income ($)Maximum Monthly Allotment ($)
11,245958189
21,6811,293347
32,1161,628497
42,5521,963632
52,9872,298750
63,4232,633900
73,8582,968995
84,2943,3031,137
Each additional member+436+335+142

The amount of benefits the household gets is called an allotment. The net monthly income of the household is multiplied by 0.3, and the result is subtracted from the maximum allotment for the household size to find the household’s allotment. This is because SNAP households are expected to spend about 30 percent of their resources on food.


[Updated with 2013 Information] The USDA has published 2013 details for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  The income thresholds and monthly benefit details are valid till September 2013. Other eligibility rules have not changed much from 2012 as outlined in the previous update below.

2013 Food Stamp or SNAP program benefits and amounts

How Much Could I Receive – Allotment Details? 

2013 Food stamp benefit


The Federal Food Stamp Program is now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Eligibility for SNAP depends on things like the number of people in your household, income, and resources (cash, bank accounts, etc…). Income includes money earned from work. It also includes benefits like Social Security and unemployment. The following table shows the 2012 gross and net income level that households must meet to qualify for SNAP food stamp payments.

SNAP Income Thresholds

Households have to meet income tests unless all members are receiving TANF, SSI, or in some places general assistance.  Gross income means a household’s total, non-excluded income, before any deductions have been made. Net income means gross income minus allowable deductions. Allowable deductions include, 20% deduction from earned income; standard deduction of $147 for households sizes of 1 to 3 people and $155 for a household size of 4 (higher for some larger households); dependent care deduction when needed for work, training, or education; and certain medical expenses.

Households may have $2,000 in countable resources, such as a bank account, or $3250 in countable resources if at least one person is age 60 or older, or is disabled

SNAP Benefit

The amount of benefits the household gets is called an allotment. The net monthly income of the household is multiplied by 0.3, and the result is subtracted from the maximum allotment for the household size to find the household’s allotment. This is because SNAP households are expected to spend about 30 percent of their resources on food.

SNAP Benefits

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest data, a record 44.7 million people participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in fiscal 2011 at a $75.3 billion cost to taxpayers. That’s up from 28.2 million and $37.6 billion in 2008. Some four million people are now on food stamps in Texas, with California (3.7 million) and Florida (3.1 million) close behind.

You or an authorized representative has to apply at the local office for SNAP benefits. For more details on eligibility and application requirements visit the USDA SNAP web page

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39 thoughts on “Food Stamp (SNAP) Income Eligibility Levels, Deductions and Benefit Allotment Payments”

  1. I a single father who lost my job received less for me and my two kids than most people do for themselves because of changes. $197 a month for three people I see more people begging for food and $$$$ now on the streets than I did in my entire life so keep cutting away…..

    Reply
    • Depends. Do they have shelter costs? mortgage, rent, property taxes, etc. Do they have out of pocket medical expenses?

      Reply
  2. JUST GOT A LETTER FED COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT 194 TO 192….COST OF LIVING GOES UP YOUR BENEFITS GO DOWN…GO FIGURE

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  3. Research indicates that Prison Inmates do not get any benefits since all resources are paid by the Federal Taxpayers and a little by the State or City. The more inmates a state has, the more Federal Dollars they get. Most states keep the bulk of the money and a penny an hour is paid for labor to keep their prisons running. The bottom line it the Taxpayers, both rich and Poor are paying for the Prison Scam Operations. YOU GET NOTHING in these programs. America has turned into a Police State. Go and visit you largest city and count all those people living on the streets, in sewer pipes and dark alleys. They get NOTHING either. Food stamp programs and Free Bulk Cheese Food programs for the poor and Veterans tell it all.
    Wake up people and stop living in a fairy tale world. Americans are the poor unless your a judge, cop or government official. What does your future hold after you get laid off or retire? Food stamps? NO Nothing.

    Reply
  4. My biggest complaint is that there are many people that need help, including myself. The only assistance I have is medicad. I can’t get snap benefits unless I have a job, if I have a job I will lose my medicad and have to get care through Obamacare which I would have to pay for and I don’t have much work experience so, a job in retail at minimum wage. I would then make too much to get any assistance. That confuses me!! I don’t have fancy anything neither do my kids. I have a $5.00 purse, don’t have cell phone service, my car is paid for and I struggle every month only because my little income is too much. I want to know how the cheaters get away with it…

    Reply
    • Food stamps and Medicaid was designed with limits. It was not designed to live on. You are needy because you have made a choice not to take apart of the GREAT AMERICAN DREAM– Working!
      Welfare was never designed to sustain a family or an able bodied for life. Working is healthy for all people.
      You made the statement that you have children. Are you receiving child support? If not you seek that to take care of your children.

      Lastly, if you work, there are local health departments that give excellent care to patients on a sliding scale fee or sometimes free. It worked for me and my children, when I did not have health coverage on my job.

      Go to work because Medicaid will soon require you to work. The economy is great! Also, what kind of an example are you setting for your children, if you do not work.

      Reply
      • Jada Rushing your comment really ticks me off!!! I worked my rear off until I became disabled. NO ONE in their right mind would choose to go with out rather than work!!!!!!! I have R/A, Lupus, Fibro, Graves Disease, IBS, Kidney Disease and can not afford to get medical help. Do you really think that I ENJOY BEING POOR?!?! I would love for you to walk in my shoes for a Month. WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE ANYONE?!?!?! A lot of what you posted is a lie. Do you even live in the REAL world. How do you sleep at night? I’m so thankful that I’m not like you nor do I know anyone as thoughtless as you. PROUD TEXAN!!!!!

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  5. Wheres reality!! even someone on ssdi with an income of 1500.oo month is poor in NJ economy. Yet they hardly quality for anything!! It makes a person wonder what is the point of becoming educated and working hard all your life and then becoming unfortunately disabled with something you never brought upon yourself . ….. I tell everybody, dont be a fool like me!!! just stay stay working minimum wage jobs, have plenty of kids and the system will treat you great

    Reply
  6. THE SNAP PROGRAM SHOULD ONLY BE FOR THE POOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING OUT OF JAIL ALSO IT SHOULD BE FOR THE MILITARY MEN THAT ARE COMING HOME THE ELDERLY HANDICAP MENTALLY ILL AND PEOPLE WHO RAN INTO HARD TIMES ANYONE ELSE SHOULD GET IT BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME THE BUDGETS AND CUTS SHOULD WORK REAL GOOD STOP HURTING PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED THIS PROGRAM WAKE UP

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  7. WHEN THE CATS AWAY THE MOUSE ATTENDS TO PLAY IN OTHER WORDS IF YOU DONT CHECK THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE WORKING FOR YOU THEY WILL WIND UP GIVING THE GOODS TO THEIR FAMILIES AND THE POOR PEOPLE WILL SUFFER FOR IT WAKE UP AND DO YOUR DAMN JOBS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH THATS WHY THE CITY IS THE WAY IT IS WAKE UP ALREADY ITS TIME TO GET SERIOUS NO MORE PLAYING GET IT TOGETHER NOW NOT TOMORROW POOR PEOPLE ARE HURTING REAL BAD THIS CITY IS GOING DOWN REAL SOON IF YOU DONT GET IT RIGHT PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING

    Reply
  8. ITS SO SAD THE CITY HAS FOOD PANTRIES THATS SUPPORTS THE POOR PEOPLE ITS ALOT OF FAKE POOR PEOPLE TAKING THE FREE PANTRY FOOD FOR GRANTED AND YOU HAVE THE WRONG PEOPLE MANAGING THAT PROGRAM THAT CLAIM TO CARE IVE SEEN POOR PEOPLE TURNEDOWN BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT CLEAN WITHOUT A PLACE TO WASH UP ITS REAL DAMN SAD WHAT HAPPNED TO COMPASSION IN THIS DAMN CITY CHECK THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE WORKING THESE PROGRAMS FOR YOU ITS NOT BEING RAN PROPERLY ITS WRONG GET REAL PEOPLE TO WORK WITH THE POOR PEOPLE

    Reply
  9. JUST REALIZE ONE THING ANYTHING FREE WILL BE MIS MANAGED AND IF NOT CHECKED ON FROM TIME TO TIME WITHOUT ANNOUNCING YOUR COMING THE SYSTEM THAT HELPS THE POOR CAN WORK BESIDES GETTING GIFTS NO ONE THAT CLAIMS TO BE POOR SHOULD BE LIVING BETTER THAN HARD WORKING CITIZENS AND DRIVING FINE CARS AND WEARING FINE CLOTHES THEY WONT DO THIS IN YOUR PRESENCE WAKE UP HELP THE REAL POOR PEOPLE

    Reply
  10. PEOPLE THAT CLAIM TO BE SO POOR YOU NEED TO MAKE UN ANNOUNCED HOME VISITS JUST TO SEE HOW THE FAKE POOR PEOPLE ARE LIVING THAT ARE ON THE SNAPPROGRAM AND OTHER PROGRAMS YOU GUYS ARE SO BLIND THE FAKE ASS POOR PEOPLE ARE MILKING THE SYSTEM YOU ARE SO DAMN BLIND AND NOW THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET THAT ARE ON SNAP AND THE POOR HAVE TO SUFFER ITS NOT RIGHT WAKE UP

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  11. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS SLOW TO CATCHING THE BAD PEOPLE ITS SO MUCH GOING ON FRAUD TRICKERY THIEVES MASTER MINDS PLAYING THE SYSTEM ITS NONE OF MY BUSINESS I JUST KNOW ITS GOING ON AND NO ONES DOING A DAMN THING ABOUT IT UNTIL ITS TOO DAMN LATE AND THEN WHEN YOU DO CATCH ON THE POOR PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER FOR IT GOD DONT LIKE HOW THE SYSTEM IS GOING ABOUT THINGS LETTING PEOPLE PURCHASE UNHEALTHY ITEMS THAT ARE NOT NUTRITIONAL FOR THE SNAP PROGRAM WAKE UP ALREADY

    Reply
  12. PLEASE DONT ALLOW WIDOWS BABIES THE REAL POOR PEOPLE THE HANDICAP NOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS SUFFER FOR WHATS COMING TO THE UNITED STATES YOUR MAD CUTS WILL AFFECT THESE GROUPS OF PEOPLE DONT LET THAT HAPPEN GO AFTER THE PEOPLE THAT THINK THEY ARE GETTING OVER ON THE SYSTEM OF ALL PROGRAMS WAKE UP ALREADY STOP IT FROM HAPPENING PLEASE FRAUD IS A CRIME CATCH THEM ALL WAKE UP ALREADY OPEN YOUR EYES THE CUTS ARE HAPPENING NOW CATCH THE BAD PEOPLE CUT THEM OFF

    Reply
  13. THE FAKE POOR PEOPLE ARE STILL TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SNAP PROGRAMS THEY ARE SELLING THEIR FOOD STAMPS TO THESE GROCERY STORES WAKE UP THATS NOT HELPING THE POOR ITS MAKING IT WORST CATCH THE BAD PEOPLE THATS MAKING IT HARD FOR THE REAL POOR PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES POOR PEOPLE WILL NOT SELL THEIR SNAP BENEFITS WAKE UP PLEASE DO IT NOW

    Reply
  14. PLEASE TRY TO HELP THE REAL POOR PEOPLE NOT THE FAKE MADE UP ONES THAT KNOW THEY CAN MAKE IT AND ARE JUST PLAIN GREEDY FOR FREE MONEY AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT CHECKING THE REAL PAPER WORK TO QUALIFY STOP IT DO YOUR JOBS AND MAKE SURE THE REAL POOR PEOPLE GET REAL HELP AND ARE NOT BEING IGNORED STOP IT ALREADY

    Reply
  15. For 2017 make real changes that won’t hurt people that really need these programs like welfare,snap,medicaid,section 8 and any other programs that will help the poor get on their feet until they are able to find employment the systems making all these cuts and you know it’s going to affect the poor I feel so sorry for when these changes do take affect it’s going to be a catastrophe in the United States and it’s not MR.TRUMPS FAULT HE WAS CHOSEN BY GOD HE JUST FELL SHORT TO THE GLORY OF GOD

    Reply
  16. Why did the food stamp program take so long to catch on to what’s going on don’t you guys know anything wow wake up ANYTHING FREE WILL BE ABUSED AND DONT EVER FORGET THAT AND SOMETHING ELSE THE UNITED STATES IS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO AND THATS PEOPLE THAT ARE ON SOCIAL SECURITY THAT HAS TO HAVE SOMEONES HELP TO MANAGE THEIR MONEY THATS BEING ABUSED TO THE PERSON THATS RESPONSIBILE THEY ARE SPENDINGTHAT MONEY DO YOUR HOMEWORK WAKE UP FRAUD GOES ON EVERYDAY HELP THE REAL POOR PEOPLE

    Reply
  17. I think when you do make these changes you should go after people that get on facebook and twitter and all social media sites that are receiving SNAP that’s bragging about what they got and how they are getting over on the system it’s so sad how people claim to be so poor and they have it all and how these grocery Store’s are buying food stamps off of people’s benefit cards when they should be purchasing nutritional foods that are good for them and stretching their budgets About time SNAP

    Reply
  18. I think it sucks my hubby is on SSI and I m working we were received almost 200 in food. Stamps and in Oct 2016 they cut our stamp for food although a am working we cannot make enough to be able to get a desante meal on the table to eat and now it’s worse how are we suppose to survive you are ruining the lives of both elderly and disabled and poor families thanks for nothing

    Reply
    • You are so RIGHT you just hold on with prayer god will show you how to make it just be receptive to gods way and listen for that small voice that will show you the way

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  19. Living in a very rural-unemployment area in the UP of MI, at 74 my only income is SS & SSI. If SNAP benefits are cut, I’ll be starving the last week of the month. Why? Because the one grocery store in town with limited selections has extremely high prices. Example: orange juice last year was going for $4.75 for 56 ozs. This year it’s at $7.85. Meats, fish, chicken & turkey have similar price increases. Eggs went from $1.29 to over $4 per dozen. SNAP needs to stop giving benefits to illegals. MAKE FOREIGN AID AMERICAN AID.

    Reply
  20. FOR REAL!! have you heard that its not the minority that are recieving food stamps its carcasians!!! They hold the highest percentage in the United States!! FYI!! Read, Listen, Learn!!

    Reply
    • Yes, Caucasians are the highest percentage of population in the States, so there are more whites on stamps than blacks, but its because THERE ARE MORE WHITES. But the PERCENTAGE of blacks on stamps is higher than the PERCENTAGE of whites on stamps. Most folks probably dont waste their time replying to your nonsense, because its a known fact that blacks are roughly 12% of the population, yet the PERCENTAGE of SUBSIDIES and CRIME for blacks is higher than any orther race. You know it. Everyone does. Nothing racist about it — its a fact. So your read, listen and learn BS is changing the facts or what everyone knows…

      Reply
    • The immergrants that the United States allow over here is taking all the food stamps, low public housing, all the free programs so be careful how you use the word Black. Our President is trying to make a difference in our world but how they are all on Social Security and I believe Social Security should be for the U.S citizens and the Veterans etc. we don’t owe immergrants nothing but they are here free sucking up everything from the Americans and it’s our Americans want them here it’s not fair.

      Reply
  21. Are non-citizens eligible for SNAP program? I have my parents here from Mexico and want to see if they can get any benefits.

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    • Per USDA guidelines, SNAP eligibility has never been extended to undocumented non-citizens. But Since SNAP is an entitlement program, it is available to nearly everyone with limited income and resources as long as they are citizens or meet certain immigration status requirements. The rules are complicated so I suggest you visit the USDA site referenced in the article above.

      Reply

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