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What are current federal income and asset limits for SNAP benefits in 2025?
Executive summary
Federal SNAP income and asset standards were adjusted for the 2025–2026 federal fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025: income tests generally use the federal poverty level thresholds (gross tests tied to about 130% of FPL and net tests to 100% of FPL in many summaries) and the national asset limits were raised to $3,000 for most households and $4,500 for households with an elderly or disabled member (FY2025 COLA memo) [1] [2] [3]. State-level practice varies: most states use broad-based categorical eligibility or have eliminated strict asset tests, while some state materials still show asset ceilings or reference state-specific rules [1] [4] [5].
1. Federal baseline: income rules framed around FPL percentages
USDA/FNS materials and many state guidance pages present SNAP eligibility as a two-step income test: a gross-income threshold (commonly cited in 2025 summaries around 130% of the federal poverty level for many non-exempt households) and a net-income threshold (100% of the poverty level after allowable deductions) [1] [6]. Advocacy and state summaries echo that gross and net tests remain central to eligibility and that allowable deductions (shelter, dependent care, medical for elderly/disabled) can materially change net-income outcomes [1] [7].
2. Federal asset limits: national increases for FY2025 (what changed)
The USDA’s FY2025 Cost-of-Living Adjustments memorandum explicitly raised the federal “countable resource” caps: $3,000 for most households and $4,500 for households with at least one member age 60+ or disabled [2] [3]. This is the federal adjustment states reference when they continue to apply asset tests for non‑categorically eligible households [3].
3. State discretion and BBCE: why many people won’t see an asset test
While the USDA sets federal limits, most states have adopted broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) that lets them align SNAP eligibility with TANF/MOE rules and often eliminate strict asset tests for many applicants. Several state pages and third‑party explainers note that “most states don’t consider your non‑retirement savings” or that “most households no longer have to pass a savings/resource test” [1] [8] [9]. Therefore, although federal asset limits exist, in practice many households will not be subject to a $3,000/$4,500 cap because of state policy choices [1] [4].
4. Practical income figures and benefit calculations (examples and limits)
State guidance and consumer-facing sites translate the FPL-based tests into monthly dollar cutoffs and maximum allotments, which are updated October 1 each year; for example, some summaries cite a family-of-four gross monthly cutoff around $3,483 and net around $2,680 for the 2025–2026 cycle in many states [10]. The benefit calculation itself still uses the maximum allotment by household size less 30% of net income, so modest income changes can significantly change benefit amounts [1] [7].
5. Policy changes and contested reporting: work rules, exemptions, and the “megabill” effects
Reporting shows that besides COLA and income/asset updates, 2025 legislation and administrative changes affect who must meet gross/net tests, how work requirements are enforced, and which households retain heating/cooling deductions—changes that can reduce eligibility for some groups [11]. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and other analyses say certain legislative changes signed in mid‑2025 narrowed automatic exemptions and can cause benefit cuts or removals for some households [11]. State pages also note variations in work-rule enforcement and time-limit applications [12] [13].
6. Where reporting diverges: simplified summaries vs. official USDA tables
Many third‑party and state websites summarize eligibility with rounded FPL percentages (e.g., 130% gross /100% net) and dollar examples; the definitive, household‑size specific income tables and maximum allotments are on FNS pages effective Oct. 1, 2025 – Sept. 30, 2026 [1]. Third‑party posts sometimes assert new programwide November 2025 rule packages or stricter asset thresholds broadly applied; however, official FNS documents explain the statutory COLA and asset ceilings while also noting state flexibility—so check state agency pages for precise household‑size dollar limits [2] [3] [1].
7. What’s not in these sources / recommended next steps
Available sources do not mention a single, nation‑wide gross-income dollar table in this corpus for every household size; instead FNS provides the authoritative tables by household size and jurisdiction effective Oct. 1, 2025 [1]. If you need exact monthly income cutoffs or maximum allotments for a specific household size or state, consult the USDA FNS eligibility table for Oct. 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2026 and your state SNAP site—state pages and consumer calculators translate those FPL percentages into monthly dollar amounts [1] [14].
Sources cited: USDA/FNS eligibility update and FY2025 COLA memo [1] [3], state and advocacy summaries and explainers on asset limits and BBCE [8] [4] [2], consumer‑facing examples and state charts [10] [14], policy context on 2025 legislative changes [11].