How Old Do You Have to Be to Get EBT Benefits?

There is no age requirement to get EBT benefits. SNAP eligibility depends on household income and resources, not on how old any individual is, so an infant, a teenager, a working adult, and a retiree can all be covered. What age does change is how you qualify and which rules apply once you are enrolled.

Children and Teens Are Covered Through a Parent

Federal law treats children under 18 who live with a parent as part of that parent’s SNAP household, even if the child buys or prepares some food separately.¹ The same grouping rule extends to children under 22 living with their parents. A child does not file a separate application; the parent or guardian applies for the household, and each eligible member is counted in the benefit calculation.

Two features of this setup work in a family’s favor. Income earned by a child who is 17 or younger and enrolled in elementary or secondary school does not count toward the household’s income, so a teenager’s part-time paycheck won’t shrink the family’s allotment.² And adding a child to the household raises the income threshold, so the family can earn more and still qualify.

When a Minor Can Get Their Own EBT Card

A minor who does not live with a parent can potentially form a separate one-person household. The test is whether the individual “customarily purchases food and prepares meals” apart from anyone else in the residence.¹ Emancipated minors, homeless youth, and teens who have left foster care may meet that standard when they are managing their own food independently. Local agencies evaluate these cases individually. A 17-year-old living in a shelter, for example, isn’t under parental control and isn’t buying food with a parent, so the agency would typically process that teen as a separate household.

Adults 18 Through 54: Work Rules Kick In

Once you turn 18, SNAP attaches work-related conditions to your benefits. A general work requirement applies to most adults between 16 and 59: register for work, accept a suitable job if offered, and don’t quit voluntarily without good cause. If you’re already working at least 30 hours a week, caring for a young child, or enrolled in school or training at least half-time, you’re excused from those general rules.³

A stricter layer applies to “ABAWDs,” able-bodied adults without dependents. Under the phased expansion from the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, ABAWD rules now cover adults ages 18 through 54. If you’re in that range with no dependents and no exemption, you must work or participate in a training program for at least 20 hours per week, averaged monthly. Fall short and your benefits are limited to three months out of every 36-month window.⁴

People under 18 and those 55 or older fall outside the ABAWD bracket entirely. A 16- or 17-year-old is technically subject to the general work registration rule, but the ABAWD time limit that actually cuts off benefits does not apply.

Who Is Exempt From the ABAWD Clock

Within the 18-to-54 range, several groups are excused from the time limit. You are exempt if you are physically or mentally unable to work (with medical certification), pregnant, caring for a child under 18 in your SNAP household, a veteran, experiencing homelessness, or a former foster youth age 24 or younger who was in foster care on your 18th birthday.³ The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 made further changes to ABAWD exemption criteria, and USDA is still issuing implementation guidance. If you’re unsure whether you qualify for an exemption, your local SNAP office can walk through the current list during your interview.

Age 60 and Older: Easier Rules for Seniors

SNAP defines “elderly” as age 60 or older.⁵ Having at least one elderly member in the household unlocks several advantages.

The asset limit is higher. Most households can hold up to $3,000 in countable resources like bank accounts and cash; households with an elderly or disabled member get a $4,500 ceiling.⁶ Those figures are adjusted for inflation each October, and many states use broad-based categorical eligibility to raise or eliminate the asset test entirely.

Elderly and disabled household members can also deduct out-of-pocket medical costs that exceed $35 per month, as long as insurance or a third party isn’t covering them. Only the amount above $35 counts. Qualifying expenses include doctor visits, prescription drugs, dental work, hospital stays, health insurance premiums, and certain transportation costs to get medical care.⁵ The deduction lowers net income, which often raises the monthly benefit.

Shelter costs work in seniors’ favor too. All SNAP households can deduct shelter costs that exceed half their income after other deductions, but for most households that deduction is capped at $744 per month. Households with an elderly or disabled member have no cap.⁵ For a senior on a fixed income paying high rent, that single rule can be the difference between qualifying and being denied.

Households where every member is elderly or disabled only have to pass the net income test, not the gross income test that applies to everyone else.⁷

Income and Asset Limits That Decide the Case

Age gets you in the door. Income decides whether you actually qualify. For fiscal year 2026, most households must pass two tests: gross monthly income (before deductions) at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level, and net monthly income (after deductions) at or below 100 percent.⁷

For the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the 2026 monthly limits are:

One-person household: $1,696 gross / $1,305 net
Four-person household: $3,483 gross / $2,680 net

Limits are higher in Alaska and Hawaii, and each additional household member raises the threshold.⁷ Adding a child doesn’t just raise the benefit; it also makes it easier for the household to clear the income cutoff.

On assets, the federal resource limit is $3,000 for most households and $4,500 for those with an elderly or disabled member.⁶ Countable resources include cash, checking and savings accounts, and certain investments. Your home and most retirement accounts don’t count. As of late 2025, 46 states used broad-based categorical eligibility to relax or eliminate the asset test, though federal policy changes may affect this going forward.⁸

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2012 – Definitions
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2014 – Eligible Households
3
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2015 – Eligibility Disqualifications
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Special Rules for the Elderly or Disabled
6
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.8 – Resource Eligibility Standards
7
USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY 2026 Income Eligibility Standards
8
Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility