What are the standard deductions and shelters used to calculate SNAP for a family of four?
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Executive summary
SNAP calculates benefits by reducing a household’s gross income with a fixed set of deductions — a standard deduction, a 20% earned income deduction, allowed work-related dependent care, medical deductions for elderly/disabled members above $35, and housing‑related shelter deductions — then applying a 30% expected contribution rule to the resulting net income (example calculations and caps vary by fiscal year) [1] [2] [3]. For FY2026 the key dollar figures to know for most states are: a standard deduction of $209, a maximum excess shelter deduction cap of $744, and a homeless shelter deduction of $198.99; other deductions and state‑level allowances (like a standard utility allowance) alter final outcomes [4] [5] [1] [6].
1. What deductions are applied before SNAP benefit math
SNAP first applies a set of statutory deductions to arrive at “net” countable income: a standard deduction that is automatic for all households (standard deduction $209 for FY2026 in most states), a 20% deduction from earned income, dependent care costs necessary for work or training, and medical expenses for household members age 60+ or disabled that exceed $35 per month if not covered by insurance or another payer [4] [1] [2]. States can also count legally owed child support payments as deductions in some circumstances, and households with elderly or disabled members are treated under special rules that can make medical deductions especially significant [1] [2].
2. How shelter deductions work and the caps that matter
After other deductions, SNAP allows households to deduct excess shelter costs — defined as rent or mortgage, property taxes, and allowable utilities that exceed half of the household’s income after the other deductions — but that excess is capped: for FY2026 the excess shelter deduction cap for the 48 contiguous states and D.C. is $744 per month [2] [5]. Households experiencing homelessness use a separate standard homeless shelter deduction ($198.99 in FY2026) rather than the excess shelter calculation [1] [5]. States may simplify shelter and utility treatment by using a Standard Utility Allowance (SUA), which can raise or lower the effective shelter deduction depending on the state’s chosen SUA schedule [6].
3. The final arithmetic that produces a family‑of‑four benefit
Once deductions produce net monthly income, SNAP assumes the household will spend 30% of that net income on food; the SNAP benefit equals the program’s maximum allotment for the household size minus that 30% expected contribution (CBPP’s worked example shows subtracting a shelter deduction to reach net income and then taking 30% as the expected contribution) [2]. For FY2026 the maximum allotment for a family of four in the contiguous U.S. is $994, so a larger set of deductions (higher shelter or medical deductions) lowers the expected 30% contribution and raises the SNAP payment up to that $994 cap for households with little or no countable income [7] [3].
4. State variation and special programs that change the math
States can adopt SUAs, apply different asset policies for elderly/disabled households, and some states set higher gross‑income thresholds (e.g., Washington uses 200% of FPL), meaning a family of four’s eligibility and benefit can differ materially across states even though the federal deduction framework is consistent [6] [8]. Disaster SNAP (D‑SNAP) and territory rules use the federal maximums and deduction caps in specific ways, and Alaska/Hawaii/territories have different capped values and maximum allotments to reflect local costs [9] [5].
5. Limits of available reporting and practical implications
The cited federal tables and FY2026 COLA memo provide the authoritative deduction figures and caps (standard deduction, earned income deduction rate, shelter cap, homeless deduction) but do not replace a state SNAP office’s application of SUAs, documentation standards for dependent care or medical expenses, or state exemptions for work requirements; those local rules materially affect a family of four’s final benefit and must be verified with state materials [5] [6] [1]. Analytical guides and calculators summarize typical outcomes, but they synthesize federal and state choices and so are illustrative rather than determinative for a particular household [10] [11].