How to Calculate SNAP Benefits: Income, Deductions, and Allotments

To calculate SNAP benefits, take the maximum monthly allotment for your household size and subtract 30% of your household’s net income after deductions. For fiscal year 2026 in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the maximum runs from $298 for one person to $1,789 for eight, with about $200 added for each additional person.¹ Most households receive less than the maximum because the formula assumes you’ll spend roughly 30% of your own net income on food.

The Formula in Plain Terms

Two numbers drive your benefit: the maximum allotment for your household size, and your net monthly income after allowable deductions. The benefit equals the first minus 30% of the second. If your net income is zero, you get the full maximum. If 30% of your net income exceeds the maximum, you get nothing from the formula, though one- and two-person households qualify for a minimum benefit even when the arithmetic points lower.

The leverage in the calculation sits in the deductions. Each dollar of deduction lowers net income by a dollar, which lowers the expected food contribution by 30 cents, which raises your benefit by 30 cents. That is why it matters to claim every deduction you qualify for.

What Income to Add Up

SNAP counts nearly all money coming into the household each month. Earned income includes wages, salaries, tips, and net self-employment earnings. Unearned income covers Social Security, unemployment, pensions, child support received, and similar recurring payments.

Gross income is the total before any deductions. Net income is what remains after the deductions below. Both figures matter, because gross income is used to screen eligibility while net income is what actually goes into the benefit formula.

A SNAP “household” is everyone who lives together and customarily buys and prepares food together. Spouses and children under 22 who live with a parent are always in the same household, even if they buy food separately.²

Deductions That Reduce Countable Income

There are six possible deductions. Every household gets the first two automatically; the others apply if your situation fits.

Standard Deduction

Every household receives a flat standard deduction based on size. For FY 2026 in the 48 contiguous states and D.C.:

1 to 3 people: $209
4 people: $223
5 people: $261
6 or more people: $299

Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands use different amounts.

Earned Income Deduction

If anyone in the household has earnings from a job or self-employment, subtract 20% of that gross earned income. The deduction reflects the costs of working, like transportation and clothing.⁴

Dependent Care Deduction

Out-of-pocket costs for child care or care of an incapacitated adult household member are deductible when the care is necessary so someone can work, look for work, or attend training. There is no cap.⁴

Medical Expense Deduction

Household members who are 60 or older or disabled can deduct out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 per month. Only the amount above $35 counts. Prescription copays, dental work, medical equipment, and transportation to appointments all qualify.⁴

Child Support Deduction

Legally obligated child support paid to someone outside the household is deductible. This one is optional at the state level, so it isn’t offered everywhere.⁴

Excess Shelter Deduction

Shelter costs above half your income (after applying the deductions above) become an additional deduction. Shelter includes rent or mortgage, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, and utilities. Most states use a Standard Utility Allowance as the utility figure instead of asking for individual bills.⁵

The deduction is capped at $744 per month for FY 2026 in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. Households that include an elderly or disabled member have no cap, which can meaningfully raise their benefit.³

A Worked Example

Consider a family of four with one working parent earning $2,400 per month in wages, no other income, and shelter costs of $1,100 in rent plus a $200 utility allowance.

Step 1. Gross monthly income: $2,400.

Step 2. Earned income deduction: 20% of $2,400 is $480. Subtotal: $2,400 − $480 = $1,920.

Step 3. Standard deduction (household of four): $223. Subtotal: $1,920 − $223 = $1,697.

Step 4. Other deductions: none apply. Subtotal stays at $1,697.

Step 5. Excess shelter deduction: Shelter costs total $1,300. Half of the subtotal is $848.50. The excess is $1,300 − $848.50 = $451.50, which is below the $744 cap and applies in full. Adjusted net income: $1,697 − $451.50 = $1,245.50.

Step 6. Expected food contribution: 30% of adjusted net income is $373.65, rounded to $374. The 30% share reflects a longstanding federal assumption that households spend about that portion of net income on food.⁶

Step 7. Subtract from the maximum: The FY 2026 maximum for four people is $994. Monthly benefit: $994 − $374 = $620.¹

A household with zero net income receives the full maximum allotment for its size.

FY 2026 Maximum Allotments

Monthly maximums for the 48 contiguous states and D.C., effective October 2025 through September 2026:

1 person: $298
2 people: $546
3 people: $785
4 people: $994
5 people: $1,183
6 people: $1,421
7 people: $1,571
8 people: $1,789
Each additional person: add about $200

These figures are updated each October based on the cost of the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands use higher maximums to reflect higher food costs.

Floors, Ceilings, and the Prorated First Month

Your benefit can never exceed the maximum for your household size. One- and two-person households qualify for a minimum monthly benefit even when the formula produces a lower number.

The very first month is different. Your initial benefit is prorated from your application date through the end of the month: divide the full monthly benefit by 30 and multiply by the days remaining. Apply on January 14 with a calculated $620 benefit, and the first month pays roughly $351. Starting the second month you receive the full amount. If the prorated figure comes out below $10, it is not issued for that first month.⁷

Eligibility Comes First

The calculation only matters if you qualify. Most households must pass two income tests: gross monthly income below 130% of the federal poverty level and net monthly income below 100%. Households where every member is elderly or disabled only need to meet the net income test.⁸

FY 2026 income limits for the 48 contiguous states and D.C.:

1 person: $1,696 gross / $1,305 net
2 people: $2,292 gross / $1,763 net
3 people: $2,888 gross / $2,221 net
4 people: $3,483 gross / $2,680 net
5 people: $4,079 gross / $3,138 net
6 people: $4,675 gross / $3,596 net
7 people: $5,271 gross / $4,055 net
8 people: $5,867 gross / $4,513 net
Each additional person: add $596 gross / $459 net

⁸

Most states also use broad-based categorical eligibility, which can raise the gross income ceiling as high as 200% of the poverty level and often waives the resource test entirely. If your income exceeds 130% of poverty, you may still qualify depending on where you live.⁹

Where the resource test applies, households can have up to $3,000 in countable resources like cash and bank balances, or $4,500 if any member is age 60 or older or disabled.⁸

One boundary worth flagging: the numbers throughout this article apply to the 48 contiguous states and D.C. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands use different standard deductions and higher maximum allotments, so the arithmetic is the same but the inputs change.

1
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY 2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
2
Food and Nutrition Service. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
3
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
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eCFR. 7 CFR 273.9 – Income and Deductions
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Food and Nutrition Service. Standard Utility Allowances
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Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Examination of the Effect of SNAP Benefit and Eligibility Parameters on Low-Income Households
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Congress.gov. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – A Primer
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Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
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Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE)