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Millions of older adults who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, never claim their benefits.
SNAP is a need-based program. That means you must meet certain financial requirements to receive food assistance.
What are the 2024 SNAP income limits? View the chart below to see this year’s eligibility rules.Chances are, you’ve heard of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—even if you know it by a different name, like food stamps. Administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), this important program helps income-eligible families and adults buy the nutritious food they need to stay healthy on a budget.
Many older adults may not believe they’re eligible for SNAP benefits; this is a common misconception. In fact, as we’ve previously reported, as many as three out of five qualifying older adults aren’t enrolled in the program. This means that close to five million people are missing out on key financial assistance that can make a real difference in their day-to-day lives. Could you be one of them?
The SNAP income limits for 2024 may surprise you. And, thanks to recent updates to the way benefits are calculated, recipients enjoy more purchasing power than ever before. Read on to learn more about the requirements for 2024 and how you can apply.
SNAP considers the size of your household, defined as “everyone who lives together and purchases and prepares meals together,” 1 when calculating your eligibility and potential benefits. This is true even if some people, including spouses and children under the age of 22, share their living space but buy their own food.
The federal government sets the overall rules for SNAP, including the highest income for food stamp eligibility, and the program is broadly available for low-income households across the country. That said, it’s important to know that each state designs its own SNAP application process and individually manages its own program. SNAP benefit amounts can vary by state, too. To determine whether you qualify, and what your specific benefits may be, you’ll need to start with your local SNAP office. We can help you with that—which we’ll get to a little further down.
Finally, income eligibility standards change annually as part of SNAP’s cost of living adjustment (COLA). It’s always worth checking whether you might qualify this year, even if you didn’t previously.
How much money can you make and still be eligible for food stamps? According to federal rules, if you're an adult over the age of 60 and/or live with a disability, your household generally must meet the following two conditions when applying for SNAP:
See the chart below for 2024 SNAP income limits
Gross monthly income
(130% of poverty)
Net monthly income
(100% of poverty)
