Food Stamp (SNAP) Eligibility & Benefit Calculator
Estimate your household's potential eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, and an approximate monthly benefit amount. This calculator uses simplified federal guidelines and example figures for the 48 contiguous states for 2023-2024. Actual eligibility and benefits can vary significantly by state, specific circumstances, and current federal guidelines. Always consult your local SNAP office for precise information.
Understanding SNAP Eligibility
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, helps low-income individuals and families purchase nutritious food. Eligibility is determined by several factors, primarily income, household size, and assets.
Key Eligibility Factors:
- Household Size: The number of people who live together and buy/prepare food together. This directly impacts income limits and maximum benefits.
- Gross Monthly Income: Your household's total income before any deductions. For most households, this must be at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
- Net Monthly Income: Your income after certain deductions are applied. All households must meet the net income test, which requires net income to be at or below 100% of the FPL.
- Assets: Countable resources like cash, money in bank accounts, and certain investments. Exempt assets typically include your home, most vehicles, and retirement accounts.
- Deductions: SNAP allows for several deductions from your gross income to arrive at your net income. These include:
- Standard Deduction: A fixed amount based on household size.
- Earned Income Deduction: 20% of your gross earned income.
- Medical Expense Deduction: For elderly (60+) or disabled members, medical expenses over a certain threshold (e.g., $35).
- Child Care Deduction: Actual costs for child care necessary for work or education.
- Shelter Deduction: The amount of shelter costs (rent/mortgage, utilities) that exceed 50% of your household's net income after other deductions. This deduction is capped for most households but uncapped for elderly/disabled households.
How Benefits Are Calculated:
If eligible, your monthly SNAP benefit is generally calculated by taking the maximum allotment for your household size and subtracting 30% of your household's net income. The idea is that a household should be able to spend 30% of its net income on food, and SNAP makes up the difference to reach the maximum allotment.
Important Disclaimer:
This calculator provides an estimate based on general federal guidelines and example figures for the 48 contiguous states for the 2023-2024 period. State-specific rules, cost-of-living adjustments (e.g., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, USVI), and annual updates to federal poverty levels, deductions, and maximum allotments can significantly affect actual eligibility and benefit amounts. This tool is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a guarantee of eligibility or benefit amount. Please contact your local SNAP agency or state social services department for accurate and personalized information.
Please enter valid positive numbers for all fields. Household size must be at least 1.
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// — Data Tables (Example values for 2023-2024, 48 contiguous states) —
// Federal Poverty Level (FPL) 100% Monthly
var fpl100 = {
1: 1255, 2: 1703, 3: 2151, 4: 2599, 5: 3047, 6: 3495, 7: 3943, 8: 4391
};
// FPL 130% Monthly
var fpl130 = {
1: 1632, 2: 2214, 3: 2796, 4: 3379, 5: 3961, 6: 4543, 7: 5126, 8: 5708
};
// Standard Deduction Monthly
var standardDeductions = {
1: 193, 2: 193, 3: 193, 4: 193, 5: 221, 6: 252
};
// Maximum Allotment Monthly
var maxAllotments = {
1: 291, 2: 535, 3: 766, 4: 973, 5: 1155, 6: 1386, 7: 1532, 8: 1751
};
// Extend tables for household sizes > 8
for (var i = 9; i 6) {
standardDeductions[householdSize] = 252;
}
var currentFpl100 = fpl100[householdSize] || fpl100[8] + (householdSize – 8) * 448;
var currentFpl130 = fpl130[householdSize] || fpl130[8] + (householdSize – 8) * 582;
var currentStandardDeduction = standardDeductions[householdSize] || standardDeductions[6];
var currentMaxAllotment = maxAllotments[householdSize] || maxAllotments[8] + (householdSize – 8) * 219;
// — Calculation Steps —
// 1. Total Gross Income
var totalGrossIncome = grossEarnedIncome + grossUnearnedIncome;
// 2. Earned Income Deduction (20% of earned income)
var earnedIncomeDeduction = grossEarnedIncome * 0.20;
// 3. Medical Expense Deduction (for elderly/disabled, over $35 threshold)
var medicalDeduction = 0;
if (isElderlyDisabled && medicalExpenses > 35) {
medicalDeduction = medicalExpenses – 35;
}
// 4. Child Care Deduction
var childCareDeduction = childCareExpenses;
// 5. Net Income Before Shelter Deduction
var netIncomeBeforeShelter = totalGrossIncome – earnedIncomeDeduction – currentStandardDeduction – medicalDeduction – childCareDeduction;
netIncomeBeforeShelter = Math.max(0, netIncomeBeforeShelter); // Cannot be negative
// 6. Shelter Deduction
var totalShelterCosts = shelterCosts + utilityAllowance;
var excessShelterCosts = totalShelterCosts – (netIncomeBeforeShelter * 0.50);
var shelterDeduction = 0;
var shelterCap = 672; // Example cap for non-elderly/disabled
if (excessShelterCosts > 0) {
if (isElderlyDisabled) {
shelterDeduction = excessShelterCosts; // No cap for elderly/disabled
} else {
shelterDeduction = Math.min(excessShelterCosts, shelterCap);
}
}
// 7. Total Deductions
var totalDeductions = earnedIncomeDeduction + currentStandardDeduction + medicalDeduction + childCareDeduction + shelterDeduction;
// 8. Net Income
var netIncome = totalGrossIncome – totalDeductions;
netIncome = Math.max(0, netIncome); // Net income cannot be negative
// — Eligibility Tests —
var isEligible = true;
var eligibilityMessages = [];
// Gross Income Test (most households)
// Households with an elderly or disabled member are exempt from the gross income test.
if (!isElderlyDisabled && totalGrossIncome > currentFpl130) {
isEligible = false;
eligibilityMessages.push('Your household\'s gross monthly income ($' + totalGrossIncome.toFixed(2) + ') exceeds 130% of the Federal Poverty Level ($' + currentFpl130.toFixed(2) + ').');
}
// Net Income Test (all households)
if (netIncome > currentFpl100) {
isEligible = false;
eligibilityMessages.push('Your household\'s net monthly income ($' + netIncome.toFixed(2) + ') exceeds 100% of the Federal Poverty Level ($' + currentFpl100.toFixed(2) + ').');
}
// Asset Test
var assetLimit = isElderlyDisabled ? 4250 : 2750;
if (assets > assetLimit) {
isEligible = false;
eligibilityMessages.push('Your household\'s countable assets ($' + assets.toFixed(2) + ') exceed the limit of $' + assetLimit.toFixed(2) + '.');
}
// — Benefit Calculation —
var estimatedBenefit = 0;
if (isEligible) {
estimatedBenefit = currentMaxAllotment – (netIncome * 0.30);
estimatedBenefit = Math.max(0, estimatedBenefit); // Benefit cannot be negative
// Minimum benefit is usually $23 for 1-2 people, but can be 0 if calculated benefit is too low.
// For simplicity, we'll just use the calculated positive amount.
}
// — Display Results —
var output = 'Eligibility Results:
'; if (isEligible) { output += 'Your household appears to be eligible for SNAP benefits.'; output += 'Estimated Monthly Benefit: $' + estimatedBenefit.toFixed(2) + ''; output += '(This is an estimate. Actual benefits may vary.)'; } else { output += 'Your household does not appear to be eligible for SNAP benefits based on these calculations.'; output += 'Reasons for ineligibility:- ';
for (var i = 0; i < eligibilityMessages.length; i++) {
output += '
- ' + eligibilityMessages[i] + ' '; } output += '
Detailed Calculation Summary:
'; output += '- ';
output += '
- Household Size: ' + householdSize + ' '; output += '
- Total Gross Monthly Income: $' + totalGrossIncome.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- 130% FPL for Household Size: $' + currentFpl130.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Earned Income Deduction (20%): $' + earnedIncomeDeduction.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Standard Deduction: $' + currentStandardDeduction.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Medical Expense Deduction: $' + medicalDeduction.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Child Care Deduction: $' + childCareDeduction.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Total Shelter Costs (Rent/Mortgage + Utilities): $' + totalShelterCosts.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Shelter Deduction: $' + shelterDeduction.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Total Deductions: $' + totalDeductions.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Net Monthly Income: $' + netIncome.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- 100% FPL for Household Size: $' + currentFpl100.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '
- Countable Assets: $' + assets.toFixed(2) + ' (Limit: $' + assetLimit.toFixed(2) + ') '; output += '
- Maximum Allotment for Household Size: $' + currentMaxAllotment.toFixed(2) + ' '; output += '