ATTACHMENT 4 FY2023-Characteristics-Report.pdf

ATTACHMENT 4

Characterist ics of Supplemental Nutri t ion Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2023

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Report No. SNAP-23-CHAR Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series Evidence, Analysis, and Regulatory Affairs Office

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

United States Department of Agriculture

United States Department of Agriculture

April 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Report No. SNAP-23-CHAR

Characteristics of Supplemental

Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2023

Authors:

INTENTIONALLY BLANK

Submitted by: Submitted to:

INTENTIONALLY BLANK Evidence, Analysis, and Regulatory Affairs Office USDA, Food and Nutrition Service 1320 Braddock Place

Alexandria, VA 22314

This study was conducted under Contract Number 12-3198-23-F-0047 with the Food and Nutrition Service.

This report is available on the Food and Nutrition Service website:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/research-analysis.

Suggested Citation:

INTENTIONALLY BLANK

April 2025 http://www.fns.usda.gov/research-analysis v

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... xi

SNAP PARTICIPATION AND COSTS .......................................................................................... XII

CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS AND PARTICIPANTS .............................................. XII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

LEGISLATION

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

BENEFIT COMPUTATION

SNAP BENEFIT ISSUANCE

STATE POLICY CHANGES SINCE FY 2022

THE ECONOMY AND SNAP PARTICIPATION AND COSTS

CHAPTER 3: CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS AND

PARTICIPANTS

HOUSEHOLDS WITH GREATER NEEDS

OTHER HOUSEHOLDS SERVED BY SNAP

EMERGENCY ALLOTMENTS

CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP PARTICIPANTS

CHANGES IN SNAP PARTICIPATION AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP

HOUSEHOLDS

ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS

REFERENCES

APPENDIX A DETAILED TABLES OF SNAP HOUSEHOLD

CHARACTERISTICS

APPENDIX B DETAILED TABLES OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS BY STATE

APPENDIX C FY 2023 SNAP PARAMETERS

APPENDIX D SOURCE AND RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES

APPENDIX E SAMPLING ERROR OF ESTIMATES

APPENDIX F DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

INDEX

vi

TABLES

Table 2.1. Major economic indicators, calendar years 2009–2023

Table 3.1. Distribution of households and their benefits by countable income as a percentage of Federal poverty guidelines

Table 3.2. Composition of households with select countable income types, column percentages

Table 3.3. Composition of households with select countable income types, row percentages

Table 3.4. Average values of selected characteristics by household composition

Table 3.5. Distribution of emergency allotment receipt by household characteristic

Table 3.6. SNAP participants and benefits by selected demographic characteristics

Table 3.7. Comparison of characteristics of participating individuals and households, FYs 2017–2023

Table 3.8. Nominal and real values of selected characteristics, FY 2022 and FY 2023

Table A.1. Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by household characteristic

Table A.2. Average values: income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, gross and net countable income, total deduction, SNAP benefit, household size, and certification period of participating households by household characteristic

Table A.3. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with a disability by household characteristic

Table A.4. Distribution of participating households by household size and amount of countable gross and net income, and gross and net income as a percentage of poverty guidelines

Table A.5. Average values: gross and net countable income, gross and net countable income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, countable resources, and benefit of participating households by household composition and size

Table A.6. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with a disability by type of countable income

Table A.7. Average income, total deduction, SNAP benefit, and household size of participating households by type of countable income

Table A.8. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with a disability by countable earned and unearned income amounts vii

Table A.9. Distribution of participating households by type of deduction and household composition, countable income source, and SNAP benefit amount

Table A.10. Average values of deductions of participating households by household composition, countable income source, and SNAP benefit amount

Table A.11. Distribution of participating households by selected household characteristics and amount of deduction

Table A.12. Distribution of participating households by selected household characteristics and SNAP benefit amount, SNAP benefit as a percentage of the maximum benefit, and certification period

Table A.13. Distribution of participating households by type of most recent action and expedited service

Table A.14. Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by household composition

Table A.15. Average values: income as a percentage of poverty guidelines, gross and net countable income, total deduction, SNAP benefit, household size, and certification period of participating households by household composition

Table A.16. Distribution of participating households by countable income type and household composition

Table A.17. Distribution of participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with a disability by selected characteristics

Table A.18. Average values of selected characteristics for participating households with children, elderly individuals, and non-elderly individuals with a disability

Table A.19. Distribution of participating households with countable earned and unearned income by selected characteristics

Table A.20. Average values of selected characteristics for participating households with countable earned and unearned income

Table A.21. Distribution of participating households with selected household characteristics by race and Hispanic status of household head

Table A.22. Distribution of participating households by presence of a household member with selected characteristics

Table A.23. SNAP participants by sex and selected demographic characteristics

Table A.24. Distribution of participants by Thrifty Food Plan gender-age groups and household size viii

Table A.25. Distribution of household heads, all participants, and non-elderly adult participants by work registration status and employment status

Table A.26. Work status of participants by age and household composition

Table A.27. Comparison of participating households with key SNAP household characteristics for FYs 1995–2023

Table A.28. Comparison of average nominal and real values of key SNAP household characteristics for FYs 1995–2023

Table A.29. Comparison of number of SNAP participants by sex and age for FYs 1995–

Table B.1. Distribution of participating households, individuals, and benefits by State

Table B.2. Average values of selected characteristics by State

Table B.3. Distribution of participating households by poverty status and by State

Table B.4. Distribution of participating households by shelter-related characteristics and by State

Table B.5. Distribution of participating households by household composition and by State

Table B.6. Distribution of participating households by selected countable income sources and by State

Table B.7. Average values of selected countable income sources by State

Table B.8. Distribution of participating households by earnings-related characteristics and by State

Table B.9. Distribution of entrant households with and without expedited service by State

Table B.10. Distribution of participating households by race and Hispanic status of household head and by State

Table B.11. Distribution of participating households by use of standard utility allowance and by State

Table B.12. Distribution of participating categorically eligible households by public assistance status and by State

Table B.13. Distribution of participating households by poverty status and by State, and effect of SNAP benefits on the poverty status of SNAP households

Table B.14. Distribution of participants by age and by State

Table B.15. Distribution of participants by disability status and by State ix

Table B.16. Distribution of participants by citizenship status and by State

Table B.17. Distribution of noncitizen participants by age and by State

Table B.18. Percentage of participating households receiving a medical expense deduction by State

Table B.19. Distribution of participating households receiving a maximum benefit by household composition and State

Table C.1. HHS poverty income guidelines

Table C.2. SNAP maximum allowable gross monthly income eligibility standards in

FY 2023

Table C.3. SNAP maximum allowable net monthly income eligibility standards in FY

Table C.4. Value of standard SNAP deductions and maximum excess shelter expense deductions in FY 2023

Table C.5. Value of maximum monthly SNAP benefit in FY 2023

Table C.6. Value of minimum monthly SNAP benefit in FY 2023

Table D.1. Number and percentage of cases sampled, dropped from the edited file, and included in the edited file

Table D.2. Unweighted distribution of participating households by State

Table D.3. Comparison of program data to edited SNAP QC data file, FY 2023

Table D.4. Comparison of calculated and reported values for selected variables of participating households

Table E.1. Standard errors of estimated numbers of SNAP households

Table E.2. Square root of design effects (d) for standard errors of estimated numbers or percentages of SNAP households

Table E.3. Standard errors of estimated means

Table E.4. Range of standard errors of mean amounts expressed as a percentage of the mean amount x

FIGURES

Figure ES.1. Effect of SNAP benefits and emergency allotments on the poverty status of

SNAP households .................................................................................................... xiii

Figure ES.2. Percentage of SNAP households by type of income ............................................... xiv

Figure ES.3. Households by composition and presence of earned income ................................... xv

Figure 3.1. Effect of SNAP benefits and emergency allotments on the poverty status of SNAP households

Figure 3.2. SNAP participants by age group, FYs 2017–2023 xi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to eligible individuals and households in need. SNAP is the largest of the domestic nutrition assistance programs administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA). This report uses SNAP Quality Control (QC) data to describe the characteristics of households and individuals who participated in SNAP in fiscal year (FY) 2023 (October 2022 through September 2023). It also presents an overview of SNAP eligibility requirements and benefit levels in FY 2023.

Since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency in March 2020, several pieces of legislation have contained changes, most of them temporary, to Federal SNAP rules.

• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (FFCRA), signed on March 18, 2020, authorized States to provide emergency allotments to supplement SNAP benefits. The legislation, beginning on April 1, 2020, also temporarily and partially suspended the time limit faced by some SNAP participants who were age 18–49 and did not have a disability or live with a household member younger than age 18. Emergency allotment benefits ended for all States and territories in March 2023, but they were still in place for 33 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands at the start of FY 2023 (USDA FNS, 2024i).

Emergency allotments were not reported in the SNAP QC data, so the benefit amounts discussed in this report do not include them.

• The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA), signed on December 27, 2020, temporarily expanded student eligibility by adding two new ineligibility exemptions for students eligible to participate in a State or federally financed work study program or who had an expected family contribution of 0. The temporary exemptions applied to households that filed initial applications on or before June 9, 2023, and to households that submitted recertification applications on or before June 30, 2023.

• The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA), signed on June 3, 2023, gradually increased the age at which adults who do not meet certain exceptions, such as having a disability or dependents, could be subject to time-limited SNAP benefits. The upper age limit increased from age 49 to age 50 effective September 1, 2023; age 52 effective October 1, 2023; and age 54 effective October 1, 2024. It also added new groups of individuals who are not subject to the time limits (homeless individuals, veterans, and certain individuals age 24 or younger who were in foster care) (USDA FNS, 2023). Lastly, the FRA decreased States’ annual allotment of discretionary exemptions, which are used to exempt individuals from time limits, and limited carryover of unused exemptions starting in FY 2026. Because the changes did not take effect until September 2023 and later, they had a minimal effect on the characteristics of the FY 2023 caseload.

The FFCRA and FRA are discussed in more detail throughout the report. FNS’s website provides comprehensive details (USDA FNS, 2024a).

xii

SNAP PARTICIPATION AND COSTS

According to FNS administrative records, SNAP provided benefits to approximately

42.2 million people living in 22.3 million households across the United States during an average month in FY 2023 (USDA FNS, 2024g). The total Federal cost of the program in FY 2023 was $113.2 billion—$107.1 billion of which went to SNAP benefits, including the cost of emergency allotments to supplement SNAP benefits due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and $6.1 billion of which went to other costs.1 The average monthly SNAP benefit across all participating households in FY 2023, including the emergency allotments, was $400.2

CHARACTERISTICS OF SNAP HOUSEHOLDS AND PARTICIPANTS

In FY 2023, 73 percent of participating SNAP households had gross monthly income that was less than or equal to the Federal poverty guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Thirty-five percent of SNAP households had gross incomes less than or equal to half of the Federal poverty guidelines; these households received 51 percent of all benefits. When the value of SNAP benefits is included as income, 17 percent of SNAP households move above the poverty guidelines; 10 percent move from below half to above half of the poverty guidelines. When emergency allotments are included, the resulting increase in the income of SNAP households is sufficient to move an additional 13 percent of participating households above the poverty guidelines. That is, the percentage of SNAP households with gross income that is less than or equal to the poverty guidelines decreases from 73 percent to 43 percent (Figure ES.1).

1 Other costs include the Federal share of State administrative costs, nutrition education, employment and training programs, benefit and retailer redemption and monitoring, payment accuracy monitoring, Electronic Benefits Transfer systems, and program evaluation and modernization efforts, as well as pilot projects that pertain to program access, health, and nutrition.

2 The remainder of this summary presents data derived from the SNAP QC sample. See Appendix D for more information on how SNAP QC data totals differ from FNS administrative totals.

xiii

Figure ES.1. Effect of SNAP benefits and emergency allotments on the poverty status of SNAP households

Percentage of Federal poverty guidelinesa

Cash gross income only and regular SNAP benefits and regular SNAP benefits plus emergency allotment

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Cumulative percentage of SNAP households

Source: FY 2023 SNAP QC sample.

a Defined as the FY 2023 SNAP net income screen (Appendix Table C.3).

Sample Interpretation: This figure shows that, based on cash gross income, 35.0 percent of participating SNAP households have income at or below 50 percent of the poverty guidelines. By comparison, when SNAP benefits are added to cash gross income, only 25.0 percent of households have income at or below 50 percent of poverty; and when SNAP benefits, including emergency allotments, are added to cash gross income, only 22.1 percent of units have income at or below 50 percent of poverty.

In FY 2023, the average SNAP household had gross monthly income of $1,059 and net monthly income of $527. SNAP households received income from a variety of sources (Figure ES.2). Thirty-three percent of SNAP households received Social Security income, 28 percent had countable earned income, and 23 percent had Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

Twenty percent of SNAP households had zero gross income.

In FY 2023, most households included a child, an elderly individual, or a non-elderly individual with a disability. Seventy-nine percent of households—which contained 88 percent of all participants—included at least one of these individuals. These households received 83 percent of all SNAP benefits, excluding emergency allotments.

Twenty-one percent of SNAP households in FY 2023 consisted exclusively of one or more non-elderly adults without a disability and without children. These households tended to be single-person households with a very low average gross monthly income.

35.0%

37.9%

27.1%

25.0%

30.7%

44.3%

22.1%

20.6%

57.3%

50 percent or less

51 percent to 100 percent

101 percent or more xiv

The average SNAP household size was 1.9 people. The average household with children had

3.3 people, compared with an average of 1.1 people for households without children. Households with children (34 percent of all SNAP households) received a larger average monthly SNAP benefit, relative to all households, that reflected their larger average household size: $574. The average monthly SNAP benefit among all households was $332. More than half (62 percent) of SNAP households with children were headed by single adults.

Figure ES.2. Percentage of SNAP households by type of income

3.1 3.5

0.8

No countable income

Countable earned income

Countable unearned income a

Social Security

Supplemental Security Income

Child support enforcement payments

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

General Assistance

Unemployment income a This includes Social Security, SSI, child support, TANF, GA, and unemployment income, among other sources.

Half of all SNAP households included an individual who was elderly or had a disability.

These households had an average monthly SNAP benefit of $214 in FY 2023. Considered separately, households with elderly individuals received an average SNAP benefit of $188 and households with non-elderly individuals with a disability received an average SNAP benefit of $266. Compared to all SNAP households, households that included an individual who was elderly or had a disability were smaller (1.4 versus 1.9 people) and were much more likely to receive income from either Social Security or SSI (92 percent versus 47 percent).

The percentage of SNAP households with earned income varied across subgroups (Figure ES.3). The highest percentage of households with countable earned income (55 percent) is found in SNAP households that included children, which make up 34 percent of all SNAP households.

In contrast, SNAP households that included elderly individuals (33 percent of all SNAP households) have the lowest percentage with earned income—7 percent. Among the 50 percent of SNAP households that had either an elderly individual or an individual with a disability, a slightly greater percentage had earned income (9 percent). This increase is due to the fact that a higher percentage of households with non-elderly individuals with a disability receive earned income than elderly individuals (13 percent compared with 7 percent). Of the 17 percent of households with adults potentially subject to time limits, 30 percent had earned income.

6.3

20.0 22.8

27.6 32.8

61.4 xv

Single-person households made up more than half of all SNAP households, and only 13 percent of them had earned income.

Figure ES.3. Households by composition and presence of earned income

Total households Households in subgroup with earned income

With children With elderly individuals or non-elderly individuals with a disability

With elderly individuals

With non-elderly individuals with a disability

Other householdsa

With adults age 18–49 without a disability in childless households b

Single-person households a “Other households” refers to households not containing children, elderly individuals, or non-elderly individuals with a disability. This group includes but is not limited to households with adults without a disability or dependents who could be subject to time-limited SNAP benefits. For example, this group might include a 55-year-old individual without a disability living alone.

b The upper age limit increased from age 49 to age 50 effective September 1, 2023.

34.3%

54.9%

9.0%

50.0%

6.8%

33.0%

13.3% 17.6%

21.3%

28.4%

16.8%

30.5%

12.7%

59.2%

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to eligible individuals and households with low incomes. SNAP’s stated purpose is to “permit low-income households to obtain a more nutritious diet . . . by increasing their purchasing power” (Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended [FNA]). SNAP is the largest Federal domestic food assistance program and is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to FNS administrative records, during fiscal year (FY) 2023, SNAP served an average of 42.2 million people each month, at a total annual cost of $113.2 billion, $107.1 billion of which went to SNAP benefits (USDA FNS, 2024g).3

SNAP provides benefits electronically via an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which may be redeemed for eligible food items at authorized retailers or for on-premises consumption items at authorized meal service providers (USDA FNS, 2024l).4 As of September 2023, a total of 255,594 retailers and 6,176 meal service providers across the nation were authorized to accept SNAP benefits.

Federal, State, and local governments jointly operate SNAP. Congress authorizes the program and appropriates the necessary funds. FNS establishes SNAP regulations under the FNA and provides oversight and policy for SNAP nationally, whereas State or local agencies administer the program. The Federal government fully funds SNAP benefits. The cooperating agencies share administrative costs, with FNS paying approximately 50 percent of these expenses.

Using SNAP household data collected for quality control (QC) purposes, FNS publishes reports detailing characteristics of the SNAP population and uses the data for additional analyses.

This report, the latest in an annual series that began in 1976, presents a picture of the households and individuals who participated in SNAP in FY 2023.

The report draws on data for participating households eligible for SNAP under normal program rules. It does not include information about those who were issued benefits mistakenly or those who received disaster assistance.5 Benefits presented in this report also do not include the emergency allotments authorized as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of

3 The total cost that went to SNAP benefits includes the cost of emergency allotments to supplement SNAP benefits due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The total cost of SNAP in FY 2023 included $6 billion in other costs, including the Federal share of State administrative costs, nutrition education, employment and training programs, benefit and retailer redemption and monitoring, payment accuracy monitoring, Electronic Benefits Transfer systems, and program evaluation and modernization efforts, as well as pilot projects that pertain to program access, health, and nutrition.

4 At authorized retailers, households cannot use SNAP benefits to purchase alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, pet food, hot food (unless a State waiver is in effect), and any food sold for on-premises consumption. In limited circumstances, States allow households to use their SNAP benefits to purchase non-food items. For example, Alaskan households that meet certain conditions may use SNAP benefits to purchase hunting and fishing equipment.

5 FNS coordinates with State, local, and volunteer organizations to provide food to those affected by storms, earthquakes, floods, fires, or other disasters. See Appendix D for more information on adjustments made to the data to remove disaster assistance recipients from the analyses.

2020.6 The exception is Table 3.5 in Chapter 3, which describes characteristics of households eligible to receive an emergency allotment and the average amount they were eligible to receive.

In Chapter 2, we provide an overview of SNAP, including the regulations used to determine eligibility and benefits and how factors such as national economic trends affect program participation and costs. In Chapter 3, we describe the characteristics of households and individuals participating in SNAP. We also provide a list of acronyms and definitions used in this report. We present detailed national tables of SNAP household characteristics in Appendix A and detailed State-by-State tables of SNAP household characteristics in Appendix B. Appendix C contains the FY 2023 SNAP eligibility standards and maximum benefit amounts. In Appendix D, we provide a detailed explanation and evaluation of the source and reliability of the estimates in this report. This is followed by a discussion of estimate sampling error in Appendix E. The instrument used to collect the SNAP QC data that formed the basis of this report appears in Appendix F.

6 See Chapter 2 for more information about the emergency allotments.

CHAPTER 2: OVERVIEW OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The characteristics of SNAP households and the level of SNAP participation change over time in response to economic and demographic trends as well as legislative alterations to SNAP.

In this chapter, we explain SNAP eligibility requirements, application procedures, benefit computation, and benefit issuances that were in place in FY 2023. The chapter concludes with a summary of how program participation and costs were related to the economy in FY 2023.

LEGISLATION

SNAP was nationally implemented in the Food Stamp Act of 1977. The FNA, as amended, includes updates to the Federal SNAP eligibility and benefit determination rules. SNAP was most recently reauthorized as part of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill). The American Relief Act of 2025 extended the legislation through FY 2025 (American Relief Act, 2024). This legislation largely maintains the basic eligibility guidelines defined in the

FNA.

Since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency in March 2020, several pieces of legislation have contained changes, most temporary, to Federal SNAP rules. The provisions affecting SNAP eligibility rules and participants in FY 2023 are summarized below and discussed in more detail throughout this report. FNS’s website provides comprehensive details (USDA FNS, 2024a).

• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 (FFCRA), signed on March 18, 2020, authorized emergency supplemental appropriations in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. In particular, it authorized States to provide emergency allotments to supplement SNAP benefits. The legislation, beginning on April 1, 2020, also temporarily and partially suspended the three-month time limit for SNAP participants who were age 18– 49 and did not have a disability, live with a child younger than age 18, or work for at least 20 hours per week. The time limit suspensions were in place through the end of the month subsequent to the month in which the public health emergency declaration was lifted by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which was June 2023. Emergency allotment benefits ended for all States in March 2023, but they were still in place for 33 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands at the start of FY 2023 (USDA FNS, 2024i)

• The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA), signed on December 27, 2020, temporarily expanded student eligibility by exempting from ineligibility students who (1) were eligible to participate in a State or federally financed work study program or (2) had an expected family contribution of $0. The temporary exemptions applied to households that filed initial applications on or before June 9, 2023, and to households that submitted recertification applications on or before June 30, 2023 (USDA FNS, 2024e).

• The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA), signed on June 3, 2023, gradually increased the age at which adults who do not meet certain exceptions, such as having a disability or dependents, could be subject to time-limited SNAP benefits. The upper age limit increased from age 49 to age 50 effective September 1, 2023; age 52 effective October 1, 2023; and age 54 effective October 1, 2024. It also added new groups of individuals exempted from the time limits (individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, and certain individuals age 24 or younger who were in foster care). Lastly, the FRA also decreased States’ annual allotment of discretionary exemptions, which are used to exempt individuals from time limits, and limited carryover of unused exemptions starting in FY 2026. Because the changes did not take effect until September 2023 and later, they had a minimal effect on the characteristics of the FY 2023 caseload.

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

FNS establishes uniform national eligibility standards for SNAP. These standards define a SNAP household and categories of households eligible for benefits. They also establish gross and net income limits, a resource limit, and various nonfinancial criteria for eligibility. FNS adjusts SNAP maximum allotments, deductions (see Income Eligibility Standards on the next page), and income eligibility standards at the beginning of each federal fiscal year based on changes in the cost of living.

The FNA authorizes FNS to provide higher income limits for certain high-cost areas, such as Alaska and Hawaii, and for households with members who are elderly or have a disability (see text box). It includes exceptions to the

SNAP definition of household members who are elderly or have a disability

Under SNAP rules, individuals are considered to be elderly if they are age 60 or older.

Individuals are considered to have a disability if they receive Federal or State disability or blindness payments or other disability retirement benefits from a government agency under the Social Security Act, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security disability or blindness payments;

receive an annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act and are (1) eligible for Medicare or (2) have a disability as defined by SSI rules;

are a veteran who is totally disabled, permanently housebound, or in need of regular aid and attendance; or are permanently disabled and receiving veterans’ benefits as a surviving spouse or child of a veteran.

eligibility criteria for individuals who are categorically eligible (as defined in the sections below).

The Household

Under SNAP rules, a household is defined as either an individual who lives alone or individuals who live together and customarily purchase and prepare food together. The incomes and countable resources of household members applying together for SNAP are aggregated to determine the household’s eligibility and benefit levels. Generally, individuals who live together in a residential unit but do not purchase and prepare food together may apply for SNAP as separate SNAP households. In this case, their incomes and countable resources are considered separately in eligibility and benefit determinations. However, spouses living together must apply as a single SNAP household. In addition, parents and their children younger than age 22 who reside with them must apply together along with the children’s spouses and own children.

Individuals who are elderly and cannot purchase and prepare food because of a substantial disability may apply for SNAP as separate households from those with whom they reside, as long as the gross monthly income of the remainder of their residential unit is less than 165 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines from the previous year.7

Categorical Eligibility

Certain households that receive benefits from other programs are considered categorically eligible for SNAP. Categorical eligibility policies simplify the SNAP application process and eligibility determination. Eligibility standards for these households are partly based on the assistance program that confers categorical eligibility for SNAP. Categorically eligible households must still meet SNAP’s nonfinancial criteria, and benefits for these households are determined under the same rules that apply to other eligible SNAP households. Accordingly, some categorically eligible households may not qualify for a positive SNAP benefit or meet SNAP’s regular eligibility criteria.

Households in which all members are authorized to receive SSI, General Assistance (GA), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance, known as pure public assistance (PA) households, are categorically eligible for SNAP. In some States, households that participate in narrowly targeted, noncash TANF-funded programs, such as work support, child care, diversion assistance, transportation, and other in-kind assistance, may also be categorically eligible for SNAP. In general, States confer this narrow categorical eligibility on only a small number of households.

States may also adopt broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) policies that apply to a larger group of low-income households. Through this option, States may choose to confer categorical eligibility for SNAP on households that receive a noncash TANF-funded benefit or a Maintenance of Effort–funded benefit. States have flexibility in choosing the noncash TANF program(s) that confers SNAP eligibility. These programs often have gross income limits above 130 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines (but no higher than 200 percent) and no net income test. In addition, most TANF programs that confer BBCE do not include a resource test.

However, four States (Idaho, Indiana, Nebraska, and Texas) conferred BBCE through TANF programs with resource limits between $5,000 and $25,000 throughout all of FY 2023. One State, Michigan, included a resource test for part of the fiscal year, removing it effective July 2023. In FY 2023, 44 States and territories (including the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) had a BBCE policy in effect.

Income Eligibility Standards

Monthly income is a key determinant of a household’s SNAP eligibility. Most households that are not categorically eligible must meet two income eligibility standards to be eligible for SNAP: (1) gross income and (2) net income. A household that is not categorically eligible and does not include a member who is elderly or has a disability must have a monthly gross income

7 The Secretary of HHS annually establishes the Federal poverty guidelines used for many assistance programs. The FY 2023 SNAP gross and net monthly income standards were based on the 2022 Federal poverty guidelines. See Appendix C for the 2022 poverty guidelines and FY 2023 SNAP income standards.

that is at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines ($3,007 per month for a family of four in the contiguous United States in FY 2023). Households with a member who is elderly or has a disability are not subject to the gross income standard. All households that are not categorically eligible must have a monthly net income at or below 100 percent of the poverty guidelines ($2,313 per month for a family of four in the contiguous United States in FY 2023).

The gross and net income eligibility standards vary by household size and for residents of Alaska and Hawaii (Appendix C). Individuals participating in the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) or an SSI Combined Application Project (SSI-CAP) are subject to different eligibility and benefit determination rules, as described later in this chapter.

As defined in the FNA, as amended, gross income includes most cash income (with the exception of specific types of income, such as loans) and excludes most noncash income or in-kind benefits (such as energy assistance and educational loans in which payment is deferred). To calculate net monthly income, the following deductions are subtracted from a household’s gross monthly income:

• Standard deduction. Households receive a standard deduction based on location and household size. In FY 2023, a household with one to three members living in the contiguous United States received a $193 deduction; larger households received a larger standard deduction. The standard deductions for outlying States and territories vary due to differences in the cost of living between such areas and the contiguous United States (Appendix C). The standard deductions are indexed annually to inflation.

• Earned income deduction. Households with earnings receive a deduction equal to 20 percent of the combined earnings of household members.

• Dependent care deduction. Households with dependents may receive a deduction for out-of-pocket costs associated with the care of a child or other dependents when necessary for a household member to work, seek employment, attend training, or pursue education. Allowable dependent care costs include the costs of care given by a care provider or facility, transportation costs to and from the care facility, and other necessary fees. The costs of care provided by a relative may be deducted if the relative providing care is not a member of the same SNAP household.

• Medical expense deduction. Households may receive a medical expense deduction if they have a household member who is either elderly or has a disability. Such households may deduct combined out-of-pocket medical costs that exceed $35 per month and are incurred on behalf of household members who are elderly or have a disability. In FY 2023, 24 States, including Louisiana, where a new deduction took effect in April 2023, had medical deduction demonstration programs that used standard deduction amounts for households with medical expenses exceeding $35 but below a specified limit. Detailed information on these demonstrations can be found in the Technical Documentation for the Fiscal Year 2023 SNAP QC Database and QC Minimodel (Leftin et al., forthcoming). Medical expenses reimbursed by insurance or government programs are not deductible in any State.

• Child support payment deduction. Households may deduct legally obligated child support payments made to or for an individual who is not a member of the household. States may choose to exclude child support payments from gross income rather than treat them as a deduction. As of October 2023, FNS estimates that 10 States excluded legally obligated child support payments from income, whereas 42 States and territories (including the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) treated child support payments as an income deduction and one State’s policy (Louisiana’s) was under review (USDA FNS, 2024k).

• Excess shelter expense deduction. Households are entitled to a deduction equal to shelter costs (such as rent, mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes, and insurance) that exceed 50 percent of the household’s countable income after all other potential deductions are subtracted from gross income. Instead of using actual utility costs, 49 States in FY 2023 opted for mandatory Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs) to calculate a household’s total shelter expense. Households with a member who is elderly or has a disability are allowed to subtract the full value of shelter costs that exceed 50 percent of their adjusted income. Households without a member who is elderly or has a disability, however, are subject to a cap on the excess shelter expense deduction, indexed annually. The maximum excess shelter expense deduction in the contiguous United States for households without a member who was elderly or had a disability was $624 in FY 2023. The maximum excess shelter expense deductions for outlying States and territories vary due to differences in the cost of living between such areas and the contiguous United States (Appendix C). The 2018 Farm Bill mandated that States provide a standard shelter deduction to households experiencing homelessness that had qualifying shelter expenses (such as charges for hotel rooms and telephone charges) but were not claiming the excess shelter expense deduction and indexed the homeless shelter deduction to inflation; previously this deduction had been a State option. In FY 2023, the value of the homeless shelter deduction was $166.81.

Because net income may not be less than zero, households with total deductions greater than their gross income may claim only a portion of the deductions to which they are entitled.

Resources

Another determinant of SNAP eligibility is a household’s resources. As stipulated in the FNA, as amended, the resource limits are indexed to inflation, rounded down to the nearest $250 increment. In FY 2023, households not categorically eligible were permitted up to $2,750 in countable resources or up to $4,250 if at least one household member was elderly or had a disability. Countable resources include cash, resources easily converted to cash (such as money in checking or savings accounts, savings certificates, stocks and bonds, and lump-sum payments), and some nonliquid resources. Some types of resources are not counted, such as retirement and educational savings accounts, family homes, tools of a trade, or business property used to earn income.

Countable resources also include vehicles, with some exceptions. Licensed vehicles used as homes, to produce earned income, to transport household members with a physical disability, or to transport fuel or water are excluded from the resource test, along with vehicles whose sale would net less than $1,500. For one non-excluded licensed vehicle per adult household member and any other vehicle used by household members younger than age 18 to drive to work or school, the amount of the vehicle’s fair market value over $4,650 is counted toward the resource limit. For the remaining licensed vehicles, the greater of the vehicle’s fair market value over

$4,650 or the equity value is counted.8 For non-excluded unlicensed vehicles, the vehicle’s equity value is counted.

To make it easier for households to maintain reliable transportation while receiving SNAP benefits, States may align their SNAP vehicle policy with rules from a TANF or Maintenance of Effort–funded assistance program if these rules are not more restrictive than Federal SNAP rules.

In FY 2023, most States and territories had adopted rules that exclude the value of some additional vehicles from the resource test and more than half of all States and territories had adopted rules that exclude all vehicles.

Nonfinancial Eligibility Standards

The program’s nonfinancial eligibility standards restrict the participation of strikers, individuals who are institutionalized, fleeing felons, individuals convicted of sexual assault or related charges who are not in compliance with their sentence or are in violation of their parole, individuals with substantial lottery or gambling winnings, undocumented noncitizens, noncitizens visiting the United States, certain students, and some lawfully present noncitizens.

Some examples of lawfully present noncitizens who are eligible for SNAP benefits include the following (USDA FNS, 2011):

• Certain noncitizens who have lived in the United States for five years or more;

• Certain noncitizen children younger than age 18;

• Certain noncitizens who are blind or have a disability and receive government benefits for their condition;

• Lawful permanent residents who are active duty members of the United States Armed Forces, veterans, or dependents of a service member or veteran;

• Lawful permanent residents with 40 qualifying quarters of work history;

• Certain noncitizens who were age 65 or older and lawfully residing in the United States on

August 22, 1996;

• Individuals admitted as refugees or granted asylum or a stay of deportation.

Many SNAP participants age 16–59 are subject to the program’s general work requirements, which include registering for work, accepting suitable employment if offered, not voluntarily quitting a job or reducing work hours below 30 per week, and participating in a SNAP Employment and Training program or workfare if referred by the State agency. Working-age participants are excused from these requirements if they are in one of the following exempt groups:

• Individuals unable to work due to a physical or mental limitation;

• Individuals complying with TANF work requirements;

• Individuals receiving unemployment compensation;

8 The equity of a vehicle is defined as its fair market value minus remaining liens.

• Individuals responsible for the care of a dependent child younger than age 6 or an incapacitated person;

• Regular participants in a drug addiction or alcohol treatment program;

• Individuals working a minimum of 30 hours per week or earning an amount equal to the

Federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours;

• Students enrolled at least half-time in a school, training program, or institution of higher education, provided they met other SNAP eligibility requirements for students in place during

FY 2023.

In addition, SNAP participants who are subject to the general SNAP work requirements and are within a specified age range, not pregnant, and residing in a SNAP household without children are generally subject to time-limited benefits unless they fulfill additional work requirements. The age range for these individuals was 18–49 through August 2023. Effective September 2023, the FRA increased the upper age limit to 50 and introduced new exceptions to time limits for individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, and individuals age 24 or younger who were in foster care on their 18th birthday (USDA FNS, 2023).9 Those subject to time limits are restricted to three months of SNAP benefits in any 36-month period unless (1) they work, participate in a work program, or participate in a combination of work and work program activities for at least 80 hours per month or (2) comply with a workfare program.10 Participants are exempt from the time limit if they live in a waived area or have been granted a discretionary exemption by the State. States may apply for a waiver from the time limit in geographic areas, including the entire State if applicable, if (1) the area has an unemployment rate that exceeds 10 percent or (2) the State can demonstrate with other economic criteria that the proposed waiver area has an insufficient number of jobs to provide employment for participants.

States are also allowed to provide participants subject to the time limit a limited number of discretionary exemptions, which apply on a month-to-month basis. The FFCRA partially suspended the time limit from April 2020 through the end of the month subsequent to the month in which the public health emergency was lifted by the Secretary of HHS, which was June 2023.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

To apply for SNAP benefits, households generally must submit an application, complete an eligibility interview, and provide verification for some household information. Depending on the State, households may apply for SNAP by providing the required information over the telephone or by completing a paper or online application. In 2023, 49 States and territories made online applications available to applicants. All States must allow individuals to apply for SNAP benefits when they apply for TANF or SSI benefits. In some States, applicants may complete their interview by telephone but can request to complete the interview in person. During the COVID- 19 public health emergency, some States exercised temporary flexibility to waive eligibility

9 The FRA will increase the upper age limit to 52 effective October 1, 2023 and to 54 effective October 1, 2024.

10 Workfare participants can perform unpaid work through a special State-approved program. The amount of time workfare participants must work depends upon the amount of benefits they receive each month.

interviews (USDA FNS, 2024d). This flexibility continued through June 2023, but some States ended their waiver period sooner. Separate from the COVID-19 public health emergency, some States waived the recertification interview for households with an elderly member or a member with a disability (USDA FNS, 2024f).

The FNA, as amended, requires local offices to process applications for SNAP benefits within 30 days of receipt. However, applications from households with extremely low income and a low level of resources must be processed more quickly under the expedited SNAP eligibility verification procedures, which require that these households receive their SNAP benefits within seven days of application receipt by the agency.