- Customer Education Center
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- Overview of Services
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- Summer EBT
- Overview
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- Family Employment Program
- Two Parent
- Adoption Assistance
- Specified Relative
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- Requirements
- Time Limits / Extension
- Review Process
- How to use
- EBT Instructions
- Next Steps
- General Assistance
- Refugee Assistance
Income and Resources
To figure out whether you qualify to receive SNAP (Food Stamps), DWS will add together your household's countable income and then subtract certain deductions.
The income after deductions must fall below a certain dollar amount for your household to qualify for SNAP benefits.
Some examples of income deductions are:
- 20% of your gross countable income
- a portion of your shelter costs
- and certain expenses you pay such as child support.
Each SNAP households needs to meet an income test unless all household members are receive benefit from Family Employment Program (FEP), SSI or General Assistance. Most households must meet both the gross and net income tests, but a household with an elderly person or a person who is receiving certain types of disability payments only has to meet the net income test. Click here to view the income chart.
The household's total income per month cannot be more than 130% of poverty based on the household's size. Gross income is your household's total income each month before taxes or any deductions have been made. Net income means gross income minus allowable deductions.
Resources
Resources such as bank accounts, cash, houses or land you own, and personal property can be counted in determining whether a household is eligible to get SNAP.
Some resources count toward the allowable limit and some are not. For example a car and any other motorized vehicle you own are not counted toward the resource limit.
The eligibility specialist can answer questions about your resources and explain the resource policy.
Any household may have up to $3,000 worth of countable resources besides monthly income and still qualify for SNAP.
Households may have up to $4,500 worth of countable resources besides monthly income and still qualify for SNAP if at least one member is age 60 or older or disabled.
Households receiving substantial lottery or gambling winnings will immediately lose eligibility for SNAP until meeting asset limit requirements. Substantial winnings are defined as a cash prize of $4,500 or more won in a single game, before taxes or other withholdings.