The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) informs applicants that they must file for Food Stamps in the state they live in. Among the requirements you must meet, there are some income and resource limits.
These limits may vary from one year to another so, you may qualify now even if you did not qualify last September. Once your situation has changed, you may also be eligible. These Food Stamp requirements will last until September 30, 2024.
For your information, if you live with a person with a disability or with a senior, you may enjoy higher income limits. Therefore, you can have more earnings than other families to qualify for these SNAP benefits. The maximum amounts of money you can get from Food Stamps are not the same everywhere.
What are the Food Stamps income limits?
This information will only be for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the 48 contiguous states. Some families may qualify for SNAP benefits because they are on TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income).
Since these programs check that you have a low income, you can simply apply for them because you may be regarded as “categorically eligible” said USDA. The Gross and Net monthly income limits will depend on the size of your family.
For example, a family of 1 can have a gross income of less than $1,580 or a net income of less than $1,215. Those amounts are per month, so you could compare them to your earnings to check your eligibility.
Families with just two members can get a gross income below $2,137 or a net income below $1,644. A three-member family can have earnings of less than $2,694 (gross) or $2,072 (net).
What is the gross and net monthly income for a family of 4 to qualify for Food Stamps?
The income limit will be 130 percent of the federal poverty level (gross) or 100% of the federal poverty level (net). That means you can get less than $3,250 (gross) and $2,500 (net). Visit the USDA and Food and Nutrition Section regarding SNAP eligibility for more details.
Apart from the gross and net income limits, you must also take into account your resources. That is basically the money you have in your bank account or at home.
The maximum amount a Food Stamps applicant can have is $2,750 in resources that can be counted. If any of the family members has a disability or is at least 60 years old, you can have $4,250 in countable earnings. General and specific work requirements are essential too.
For instance, you must enroll for work, you cannot leave your job or reduce the number of hours you work, you must accept a job offer and you must take part in work training programs. Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents aged 18-52 may have to work 80 hours per month. Exemptions are possible too.
