Financial Eligibility Requirements

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What are the resource limits?

What resources are counted?

What are the income limits?

What income is counted?

How is gross income calculated?

What deductions are allowed for net income?

What are the standard utility allowances (SUAs)?

What are the sponsor deeming rules?

NOTE: Glossary words are highlighted. Click on any glossary word to see its definition.

 What are the resource limits?

Your resources are the money, savings, and valuable things you own that you can use to pay for food and other things you need. If your resources are worth too much, you cannot get assistance. Only certain resources are counted for SNAP eligibility.

• Households with at least one member who is 60 years or older or disabled can have up to $3000 in countable resources.

• Households without an elderly or disabled member can have up to $2000 in countable resources.

• Households in which all members are getting TANF, GA, or SSI are categorically eligible for food stamps and do not have to meet resource limits.

If you give away resources just so you will become eligible for SNAP, you will be disqualified for a period of time, up to one year.

What resources are counted?

Households where all members are getting TANF, GA, or SSI do not have resource limits.

For all other households, certain resources are counted and certain resources are not counted toward the resource limit. Your ISD worker can give you a complete list.

These resources are counted: cash savings and checking accounts stocks and bonds loans IRAs and Keogh plans income tax refunds and credits, insurance settlements, refunds of security deposits, other lump-sum payments property other than your home or business resources of ineligible or disqualified household members your sponsor's resources, if you are a sponsored noncitizen

These resources are NOT counted: your home vehicles used to get to and from work (up to $4,650 in fair market value; one for each household member who works) personal belongings and household items, including jewelry life insurance and burial plots pension plans (except IRAs and Keoghs) inaccessible resources (resources you are not allowed to use) resources of non-household members resources of TANF or SSI recipients

What are the income limits?

Food stamps are for households with limited incomes. If your income is too high, you will not be eligible for SNAP.

• Households without an elderly (60 or older) or disabled member must meet a gross income test and a net income test:

  • Gross income cannot be greater than 130% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG)

  • Net income (after allowed deductions) cannot be greater than 100% of the FPG

• Households with an elderly (60 or older) or disabled person must meet only a net income test: Net income cannot be greater than 100% of the FPG. Households with elderly or disabled members are allowed special deductions from income.

• Individuals who are both elderly and disabled have special rules. Your ISD worker will explain these rules to you. You may be allowed to get food stamps on your own, even if you live with others.

• Households that are categorically eligible because all members get TANF, GA, or SSI do not have to pass an income test.

What income is counted?

Most types of income are counted for food stamps eligibility. This includes earned and unearned income. However, there are some types of income that are not counted.

This income is counted: wages, salaries, sick pay self-employment income training allowances/VISTA payments SSI, TANF, GA Social Security, pensions, retirement benefits unemployment, workers' compensation veterans' benefits disability payments certain trust fund withdrawals and dividends child support and alimony foster care payments rental income cash awards, gifts, prizes income of ineligible or disqualified household members your sponsor's income, if you are a sponsored noncitizen

This income is NOT counted: things you get for free that are not money (food, housing, clothing) irregular income (up to $30 dollars every 3 months) tax refunds, rebates, insurance settlements, other lump-sum payments (counted as resources, not income) most educational assistance assistance from private charities (up to $300 per quarter) certain reimbursements for actual expenses income of a child under 18 who is a student, half-time or more fuel assistance disaster relief payments certain payments to American Indian tribes

There are many rules about countable and noncountable income. Your ISD worker can answer any questions you may have.

How is gross income calculated?

In most cases, the ISD uses your income from the four weeks before your application date to calculate your gross monthly income. The ISD adds together your countable earned and unearned income. For earned income:

• if you are paid weekly, the ISD usually averages the amount from your last four weekly pay stubs, then multiplies your weekly average by 4.3 (because there are more than 4 weeks in a month) to get your monthly earned income.

• if you are paid every two weeks, the ISD usually averages the amount from your two previous pay stubs, then multiplies the bi-weekly average by 2.15 to get your monthly earned income.

If your income from the previous four weeks is not the income you expect to get during your certification period, you can ask your caseworker to calculate your income another way. For example, if you worked overtime one week, but don't expect to do that again, your overtime pay should not be averaged in.

If your income goes down during your certification period, you should tell the ISD right away so they can recalculate your benefits.

What deductions are allowed for net income?

To calculate your net income, the ISD subtracts certain amounts from your total countable gross income. These deductions include a standard deduction for the household, an earned income deduction, and deductions for certain types of expenses your household might have. If you have these expenses, it is important that you list them on your application, because they will affect the amount of monthly assistance you get.

The allowed deductions are:

• a standard deduction of:

  • $141 for households with 1-3 members
  • $153 for households with 4 members
  • $179 for households with 5 members
  • $205 for households with 6 or more members

• a 20% earned income deduction (earned income includes wages and salary, tips, commissions, and any other money that you get from working). The ISD subtracts 20% from your gross earned income (before taxes, union dues, or any other payroll deductions). The ISD uses 20% even if your actual payroll deductions are greater than this amount.

• for elderly or disabled household members only, a medical expense deduction. You may deduct medical expenses that you pay that are more than $35 for the month. You cannot deduct expenses that are paid for by insurance or someone else.

• a dependent care deduction, if you need this care so you can go to work, job training, or an education program. You may deduct your actual costs for dependent care.

• excess shelter costs that are more than half the household’s income after the other deductions. Allowable costs include basic utilities, one telephone, rent or mortgage payments, property insurance, and property taxes. The shelter deduction cannot be more than $459 unless one member of the household is elderly or disabled.

  Shelter costs include:

  • rent, mortgage, condo fees, or similar payments
  • property insurance and property taxes
  • standard utility allowances (SUAs). The SUAs are used, regardless of your actual costs.

• homeless shelter/utility deduction. Homeless households may deduct $143 instead of the shelter costs deduction. A homeless household that pays more than $143 per month in shelter/utility costs may use the shelter costs deduction instead of the homeless deduction.

• legally owed child support payment

What are the standard utility allowances (SUAs)?

The ISD uses standard utility allowances to calculate a household's shelter costs deduction (see above). The SUAs are used regardless of the actual costs a household pays for utilities.

The standard utility allowances (effective 10/1/2009 through 9/30/2010) are:

It is generally in the household's best interest to use the SUA rate; however, if a household's utility costs are exceptionally high, actual costs can be claimed. The household must verify the actual costs with the ISD.

What are the sponsor deeming rules?

Special financial eligibility rules called sponsor deeming apply to certain sponsored noncitizens admitted for permanent resident status into the U.S. These rules apply to family-sponsored immigrants, not to refugees, asylees, or other immigrants who may be sponsored by an organization such as a church.

If sponsor deeming applies to you, then your sponsor's (and spouse's) income and resources, minus certain deductions, are added to your own in deciding your eligibility for food stamps. Sponsor deeming applies whether or not your sponsor actually gives you any money.

Sponsor deeming only applies if all of the following are true:

• you are a sponsored noncitizen admitted for permanent residence
• your sponsor signed a legally binding affidavit of support (Form I-864) as a condition of entry
• the affidavit of support was signed on or after December 19, 1997
• you are 18 or older
• and you are not a member of your sponsor's food stamp household

Sponsor deeming does not apply in any of these situations:

• you become a U.S. citizen
• you have 40 credits (about 10 years) of qualifying work (may include parent and spouse credits)
• you are no longer applying for LPR status and you leave the country
• your sponsor dies
• you are a battered spouse or parent of a battered child
• you are indigent, without basic food or shelter

Sponsor deeming is complicated and the rules are subject to change. Your ISD worker will explain the deeming rules that apply to you, or you can get help from a Legal Assistance Program.