The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low-income households buy food. The federal calculation is the same everywhere in structure, though the figures differ by state and the states administer the program: start with the maximum allotment for the household size, subtract 30% of the household’s net monthly income, and the result is the monthly benefit. Eligibility turns on income tests and, in some states, an asset test, and the deductions — for earnings, dependents, medical costs, and shelter — are what turn gross income into the net income the formula uses. This guide uses the fiscal year 2027 federal figures, in effect from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, and flags every place where state rules change the answer.

How the benefit is calculated

The formula is short. First, gross monthly income is reduced by the deductions described below to give net monthly income. Then the benefit is the maximum allotment for the household size minus 30% of net income. The 30% reflects the program’s premise that a household can contribute about 30% of its net resources toward food; the benefit fills the gap between that contribution and the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, which is what the maximum allotment represents. A household with no net income receives the full maximum. A household whose net income is high enough that 30% of it equals or exceeds the maximum receives no benefit.

Worked example: a three-person household with net monthly income of $1,000. The maximum allotment for three people in the 48 states is $808. Thirty percent of net income is $300. The benefit is $808 − $300 = $508 a month. A one-person household with $500 of net income receives $306 − $150 = $156. A four-person household with $2,000 of net income receives $1,023 − $600 = $423. Every $100 of additional net income reduces the benefit by $30 — which is why deductions, each dollar of which saves 30 cents of benefit, matter as much as they do.

Households of nine or more are capped at 200% of the four-person Thrifty Food Plan cost. The figures above are the federal standards; states using broad-based categorical eligibility may apply higher gross limits (up to 200% of poverty) and may waive the asset test, which is why a household above the federal gross limit can still qualify in many states. Your state agency’s figures govern your case.

The deductions, in order

Deductions are applied to gross income in a fixed sequence, and the sequence matters because the shelter deduction depends on the income that remains after the others. First, 20% of gross earned income is deducted — the earned-income deduction, which recognises work expenses and the taxes on earnings. Second, the standard deduction: $217 a month for households of one to three people, $229 for four, $268 for five, and $308 for six or more in the 48 states for FY 2027. Third, dependent-care costs actually paid for a child or incapacitated adult, when the care lets a household member work, seek work, or attend training. Fourth, medical expenses over $35 a month for elderly or disabled members. Fifth, legally obligated child support paid to a non-household member, in most states.

Last comes the excess shelter deduction, usually the largest. Shelter costs — rent or mortgage, taxes, insurance, and a utility allowance — that exceed half of the household’s income after all other deductions are deductible, up to a cap: $769 a month in the 48 states for FY 2027, with no cap for households containing an elderly or disabled member. Example: after other deductions, income is $1,200 and shelter costs are $1,000. Half of $1,200 is $600, so the excess is $400, all deductible (under the cap). If shelter costs were $1,500, the excess would be $900, capped at $769. Homeless households may claim a separate homeless shelter deduction of $205.66. Keep receipts for every deduction you claim: the agency verifies them, and an unverified deduction is a deduction denied.

Eligibility: the tests, the asset limits, and who is excluded

Most households face two income tests: gross monthly income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, and net monthly income at or below 100%. Households with an elderly (60 or older) or disabled member are generally exempt from the gross test and judged on net income alone. Households with no elderly or disabled member and with gross income above 130% fail at the first test in states that apply the federal standard — but most states use broad-based categorical eligibility, under which the gross limit rises to as much as 200% of poverty and the asset test is waived. In those states the practical test is net income and the benefit formula.

The federal asset (resource) limits for FY 2027 are $3,000 for most households and $4,750 for households with an elderly or disabled member, counting bank accounts, cash, and similar resources, and excluding the home, household goods, and usually one vehicle (states vary on vehicle treatment). Many households never face the asset test because their state has waived it. Certain people are excluded from the household for SNAP purposes regardless of income: most strikingly, many non-citizens are ineligible (with exceptions for refugees, asylees, and other qualified groups, and citizen children in mixed-status households remain eligible), full-time students face additional work requirements, and people disqualified for fraud or fleeing felons are barred. These are determinations for the state agency, with appeal rights if you disagree.

Applying, recertification, and appeals

Apply through your state SNAP agency — online, by mail, or in person. You will need identification, proof of residence, income records, and records of the deductions you claim. An interview follows, usually by phone. Benefits, if approved, are generally backdated to the application date, and households with very low income and resources may qualify for expedited service, with benefits available within seven days. Do not wait until a crisis to apply: the application date is what counts, and the process takes time.

Certification periods run from 6 to 12 months for most households (longer for elderly or disabled households with stable income), after which you must recertify, reporting changes in income, household composition, and address in the meantime as your state requires. If your application is denied, or your benefit is reduced or terminated, you have the right to a fair hearing — request it in writing within the deadline stated in the notice (usually 90 days), and keep receiving benefits during the appeal if you request continued aid on time and the issue is a reduction rather than an initial denial. Legal aid organisations assist with SNAP appeals without charge in many areas.

State differences that change the answer

Three state choices matter most. First, broad-based categorical eligibility: in states that use it, the gross income limit is higher and the asset test is waived, which is the difference between qualifying and not for many working households. Second, the utility allowance: states choose between a standard utility allowance, a heating-and-cooling standard, or actual costs, and the choice changes the shelter deduction substantially — a household in a cold climate with a heating allowance can deduct hundreds more than an identical household elsewhere. Third, work-requirement waivers and exemptions: areas with high unemployment may be waived from the time limit for adults without dependents, and states differ in how they operate employment and training programs.

Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands use separate allotment and deduction tables, as the hub page’s companion section explains. The practical advice is uniform: use your state agency’s figures and notices for your own case, treat any national calculator — including this one — as an estimate, and ask the agency, in writing where possible, about anything that affects your household. The federal structure is fixed; the state application of it is where the answer lives.

Frequently asked questions

How is a SNAP benefit calculated?

Benefit = maximum allotment for household size minus 30% of net monthly income. Net income is gross income minus deductions (20% of earnings, the standard deduction, dependent care, medical costs over $35 for elderly/disabled members, child support paid, and excess shelter costs). For FY 2027 the four-person maximum in the 48 states is $1,023.

What are the SNAP income limits for FY 2027?

In the 48 states, the gross limit (130% of poverty) is $1,729 a month for one person and $3,575 for four; the net limit (100%) is $1,330 and $2,750. Households with an elderly or disabled member are generally tested on net income only, and many states apply higher gross limits under broad-based categorical eligibility.

What is the shelter deduction cap for FY 2027?

$769 a month in the 48 states and D.C., up from $744. There is no cap for households with an elderly or disabled member. In Hawaii the cap is $1,036; Alaska’s is $1,229. The deduction covers shelter costs above half of income after other deductions.

Is there an asset test for SNAP?

Federally, yes: $3,000 for most households and $4,750 for households with an elderly or disabled member. But most states have waived the asset test under broad-based categorical eligibility. Check your state’s rules; the test may not apply to you at all.

Can I get SNAP if I work?

Yes. SNAP is for low-income households including working households — the 20% earned-income deduction specifically recognises earnings. Eligibility depends on net income after deductions, not on whether you work. Many SNAP households include at least one worker.

Is this calculator an official eligibility decision?

No. It estimates a benefit from the federal FY 2027 tables and the figures you enter. Only your state SNAP agency can decide eligibility and the benefit amount, applying state rules, verification, and any deductions the estimate may have missed. Apply through the agency for a decision.