Can You Get Food Stamps While on Disability?

How Does a Disabled Person Qualify for SNAP?

Your eligibility for food stamps is based on your income and other financial resources. As a disabled person, SNAP doesn't count all of your income—allowing you to deduct certain expenses and making it easier to qualify for food stamps. If you're receiving SSDI, the SNAP program will already consider you disabled.

Even though SNAP is a federal program, applications for food stamps are handled at the state level. Each state does set some of its own eligibility rules, and the states differ in some aspects regarding the criteria for qualifying.

For example, some states don't count a primary vehicle as an asset for purposes of determining whether you have too many resources (assets) to qualify for SNAP. In all states, however, you need to meet certain income and resource limits to qualify for SNAP benefits.

Some states use the federal income limits, which we set out in the chart below, while other states use a higher income limit, allowing more people to receive food stamps.

SNAP Income Limits for Food Stamps

Normally, you must meet both the "gross" income (before taxes and other deductions) and the "net" income (after taxes and deductions) limits to qualify for food stamps. But if you're disabled and getting SSDI, you need only meet the net income limit.

The chart below shows the income limits for households that apply for SNAP benefits from October 2023 through September 2024. The income limits are higher in Alaska and Hawaii.

Income Limits for SNAP Benefits Based on Household Size

Deductions: Income That SNAP Doesn't Count

If you're getting SSDI disability benefits, SNAP doesn't count all your income when determining your eligibility for food stamps. To determine your net income for SNAP purposes, you can subtract the following from your gross household income:

• 20% of your earned income
• $204 for households of one to three people (the "standard deduction")
• dependent care costs when needed for you to work, get training, or go to school
• your medical expenses over $35 for the month (if not paid by insurance or someone outside your household), including:
  • doctor bills
  • medication costs (when approved or prescribed by a doctor)
  • inpatient and outpatient hospital expenses
  • cost of nursing care
  • cost of dentures, and
  • other medically related expenses (like certain transportation costs, attendant care, and health insurance premiums).

If you have four people in your household, your standard deduction is $217. If you have five people in your household, your standard deduction is $254. If you're homeless, you're allowed a standard shelter deduction of $190.30.

In some states, you can also deduct any court-ordered child support payments you make.

Housing Cost Deductions

You can deduct your housing costs that total more than half of your household's income, including the following:

• rent or mortgage payments and interest
• taxes on the home
• fuel for heat and cooking
• electricity
• water, and
• the basic fees for one telephone.

When housing costs take up more than half of your income, the costs above half your income are called "excess shelter costs."

Resource (Asset) Limits for Food Stamps

Even if you meet the income requirements for SNAP benefits, you won't qualify for food stamps if your resources exceed the limit. Normally, households can have up to $3,000 in countable resources (like cash or money in a bank account) and still qualify for food stamps. But since you're disabled, you can qualify for SNAP benefits with up to $4,500 in countable resources.

Typically, your home or lot doesn't count as an asset for SNAP purposes. Neither do your furniture or clothing. The vehicle rules are complicated.

One car per adult (and any vehicles used by household members under 18 to get to school or work) are not counted as resources, up to a certain value. If the fair market value (less what's owed on a car loan) of a vehicle is over $4,650, the excess value counts as a resource.

For instance, let's say you own a car that you're still making payments on. If the car's fair market value is $12,000, and you still owe $2,000 on the loan, then $5,350 of its value would count as a resource ($12,000 - $2,000 - $4,650 = $5,350).

Some other types of vehicles are excluded entirely, regardless of value, including the following:

• vehicles used to earn income (like taxis, trucks, and delivery vehicles)
• a vehicle you use as your home (like a motor home you live in full-time)
• a vehicle needed to transport a physically disabled person
• vehicles used to carry most of your household's fuel or water, or
• a vehicle that's worth less than $1,500 if sold.