You likely qualify for food stamps in Minnesota if your household’s gross monthly income is at or below 165 percent of the federal poverty guideline. For a single person that’s roughly $2,195 a month; for two people, about $2,976. Because Minnesota uses broad-based categorical eligibility, most households that clear the gross income test skip the federal asset limit and the separate net income test entirely.1Minnesota Department of Human Services. SNAP Categorical Eligibility/Ineligibility Your savings balance and vehicle value generally don’t matter. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Minnesota is administered by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, and benefits are loaded monthly onto an EBT card.
Income Limits for October 2025 Through September 2026
The figures below apply from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The gross income column is the threshold most Minnesota households need to clear, since categorical eligibility waives the net test for everyone else.
Gross income limits at 165 percent of the 2026 Federal Poverty Guideline:2HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
- 1 person: about $2,195 per month
- 2 people: about $2,976 per month
- 3 people: about $3,757 per month
- 4 people: about $4,538 per month
- 5 people: about $5,319 per month
- Each additional person: add about $781 per month
p>Net income limits at 100 percent of the poverty guideline apply only to households that don’t qualify for categorical eligibility:3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
- 1 person: $1,305 per month
- 2 people: $1,763 per month
- 3 people: $2,221 per month
- 4 people: $2,680 per month
- Each additional member: +$459 per month
Exact county figures can differ slightly from the calculated gross amounts because of rounding, but the poverty guideline is the anchor.
Who Counts as Your Household
You can’t split a household to fit under the limit. Spouses living together, and children under 22, must apply as a single unit regardless of whether they buy groceries or cook separately. Everyone in that unit needs to be a Minnesota resident.
Non-citizens generally have to hold a qualifying immigration status. Refugees, asylees, and certain other humanitarian immigrants may qualify. Legal noncitizens age 50 or older who don’t meet the federal citizenship requirements aren’t eligible for SNAP itself, but they can apply for the Minnesota Food Assistance Program instead (see below).4Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP)
When the Asset Test Still Applies
Categorical eligibility waives the asset test for most households, but a few situations bring it back:1Minnesota Department of Human Services. SNAP Categorical Eligibility/Ineligibility
- A household member is disqualified for intentional program fraud.
- A member is a fleeing felon or parole violator.
- The household previously closed because of substantial lottery or gambling winnings.
- The household includes an elderly or disabled member and gross income exceeds 200 percent of the poverty guideline.
For everyone else, what you have in the bank doesn’t decide eligibility.
Work Requirements for Adults 18 to 54 Without Dependents
Adults ages 18 through 54 with no dependent children are treated as able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). The upper age was raised from 49 to 54 under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.5Federal Register. Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act If you fall in that group, you have to work or take part in a qualifying activity for at least 80 hours per month, which comes out to roughly 20 hours a week. Paid employment counts, and so do approved employment and training programs, vocational education, and community service.
Fall short, and benefits are limited to three months in any 36-month period. After that, they stop until you either meet the hours or qualify for an exemption.
Exemptions apply if you are pregnant, caring for a child or an incapacitated household member, or managing a physical or mental health condition that limits your ability to work. Working 30 or more hours per week automatically satisfies the requirement. Give your county worker medical records or proof of caregiving and your benefits stay active.
How Much You Could Receive
Even for households that skip the net income eligibility test, the state still calculates net income to set the benefit amount. The formula starts with gross income and subtracts allowable deductions:
- Standard deduction: $209 per month for households of one to three, $223 for four, $261 for five, and $299 for six or more.6Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Maximum Allotments and Deductions
- Earned income deduction: 20 percent of wages and self-employment income.3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
- Dependent care: out-of-pocket costs for child care or care of a disabled household member needed for someone to work or attend training.
- Excess shelter costs: rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and utilities that exceed half of your income after the other deductions, capped at $744 per month unless someone in the household is elderly or disabled (no cap in that case).3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
- Medical expenses: for elderly or disabled members, out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 per month.
After the deductions, the state multiplies your remaining net income by 30 percent (the share you’re expected to spend on food) and subtracts that number from the maximum allotment for your household size. What’s left is your monthly benefit. If the math produces less than $24 for a one- or two-person household, you still receive a $24 minimum.3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
Maximum monthly allotments for October 2025 through September 2026:3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
- 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: +$218
A household with zero net income receives the full maximum allotment. As net income rises, the benefit shrinks. That’s why itemizing your rent, utilities, child care, and (where applicable) medical expenses matters as much as reporting income: every legitimate deduction lowers net income and raises the benefit.
How to Apply
Minnesota has three ways to file:7Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Online at MNbenefits.mn.gov.
- On paper, using the Combined Application Form (DHS-5223), submitted to your county or tribal human services office.8Minnesota Department of Human Services. Combined Application Form (DHS-5223)
- With help from a SNAP Outreach specialist at mnfoodhelper.org.
Before you start, gather ID for each household member (driver’s license, state ID, or birth certificate), proof of your Minnesota address (lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill), and pay stubs from the past 30 days. Self-employed applicants should have federal tax returns on hand.9Minnesota Department of Human Services. Combined Application Form Social Security income is verified by the agency directly, though your benefit letter can speed things up. List every monthly expense that might qualify for a deduction.
After you file, a county worker schedules a phone interview to verify the information. Most applications are processed within 30 days.10Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Application Processing Timeliness
When You Can Get Benefits in Seven Days
Households in a financial emergency qualify for expedited processing, which delivers benefits within seven days.11Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Food and Nutrition You qualify if any of the following is true:12Minnesota Department of Human Services. Expedited SNAP
- Your monthly countable income is under $150 and you have $100 or less in liquid assets.
- You are a migrant or seasonal farmworker who is destitute with $100 or less in liquid assets.
- Your combined monthly income and liquid assets are less than your monthly rent or mortgage plus the standard utility allowance.
If You’re a Legal Noncitizen Age 50 or Older
Legal noncitizens age 50 or older who don’t qualify for SNAP solely because of their citizenship status may be eligible for the Minnesota Food Assistance Program, a state-funded alternative.4Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP) MFAP mirrors SNAP on income limits, deductions, and benefit amounts. You apply on the same Combined Application Form and use the same EBT card at the same stores. The difference is the funding source and the citizenship requirement it waives.