SNAP Benefit Updates for Washington State: Amounts and Eligibility

Washington SNAP benefits, administered by the state as the Basic Food program, pay up to $298 a month for a single person and up to $994 for a household of four during the federal fiscal year that runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Most households qualify if their gross income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, and the actual benefit depends on income, housing costs, and household size.

Maximum Monthly Amounts for FY2026

The USDA sets SNAP allotments each October based on the Thrifty Food Plan. For Washington and the rest of the 48 contiguous states, the maximum monthly benefit by household size is:

1 person: $298
2 people: $547
3 people: $784
4 people: $994
5 people: $1,181
6 people: $1,417
7 people: $1,567
8 people: $1,789

Add $224 for each additional person beyond eight. One- and two-person households that qualify receive a minimum of $24 a month, even when the formula would come out lower.¹

How Your Actual Benefit Is Calculated

Most households don’t receive the maximum. Federal law takes the maximum allotment for your household size and subtracts 30% of your net income.² The assumption behind the formula is that a household can put about 30 cents of each dollar of available income toward food, with SNAP covering the rest.

A quick example: a three-person household with $800 in monthly net income has $240 subtracted from the $784 maximum, leaving a benefit of $544. Larger households can see the formula produce a benefit as low as $1 and still receive it.¹

Who Qualifies in Washington

Washington uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility, which raises the gross income cutoff to 200% of the federal poverty level. That is well above the standard federal threshold of 130%, and it also means Washington does not apply an asset test to most applicants. Savings, retirement accounts, and vehicles generally do not count against you.³

Because categorical eligibility waives both the gross and net income tests at that threshold, most Washington applicants never have to pass the stricter 100%-of-poverty net income test. Households that fall outside the categorical rules do still have to meet it.⁴

Deductions That Raise Your Benefit

Several deductions reduce the income DSHS counts when calculating your allotment. A larger deduction means a lower net income, which means a larger benefit.

Standard deduction: $209 for households of one to three, $223 for four, $261 for five, and $299 for six or more.
Earned income deduction: 20% of all earned income is excluded.⁵
Excess shelter deduction: when rent or mortgage, taxes, and utilities exceed half your income after other deductions, the excess is deductible up to $744 a month. Households with an elderly or disabled member have no cap.
Homeless shelter deduction: $198.99 a month for people without fixed, regular housing.
Dependent care deduction: out-of-pocket childcare or care for a disabled household member, when needed for work or training.
Medical expense deduction: for elderly or disabled members, unreimbursed medical costs above $35 a month.¹

Work Requirements if You’re an Adult Without Dependents

Adults 18 to 54 who can work and have no dependents (called ABAWDs) can only receive Basic Food for three months in any 36-month window unless they work, volunteer, or train for at least 80 hours a month.⁶

Washington previously held a geographic waiver covering 38 of its 39 counties, which paused the time limit in those areas. That waiver expired on January 31, 2026. As of February 1, 2026, no part of the state has an active waiver, so the three-month limit applies statewide unless you qualify for an individual exemption.⁷

You are exempt if you are physically or mentally unable to work, pregnant, caring for a child under 18 in your SNAP household, or caring for an incapacitated person. DSHS reviews compliance monthly, so keep records of your work hours or the basis for your exemption.

Rules for College Students

Being enrolled at least half-time in higher education does not automatically disqualify you, but it does add a hurdle. You must meet at least one exemption on top of the regular eligibility rules. Common ones:

Working 20 or more hours a week in paid employment
Participating in federal or state work-study
Caring for a child under 6
Being a single parent enrolled full-time with a child under 12
Receiving TANF
Being placed in college through SNAP Employment and Training or a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program

One disqualifier catches many students: if a campus meal plan provides the majority of your meals, mandatory or voluntary, you are not eligible for SNAP regardless of income.⁸

What You Can Buy With Basic Food

Benefits cover most grocery items: fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds and plants that produce food for your household. They do not cover alcohol, tobacco, vitamins or supplements, hot foods ready to eat at the register, live animals (with narrow exceptions), or non-food items like cleaning supplies, pet food, paper products, or personal care items. These rules are federal.⁹

How to Apply

The fastest route is online at washingtonconnection.org, where you can submit the application and upload verification documents.¹⁰ You can also apply by phone through the DSHS Customer Service Center or in person at a Community Services Office.

After you apply, DSHS schedules an eligibility interview. Most decisions come within 30 days. If your gross monthly income is below $150 and you have $100 or less in liquid resources, you qualify for expedited processing, and benefits must be issued within seven days. Approvals usually last 12 months, with a mid-certification review around month six, after which you’ll need to renew.¹¹

Keeping Your Benefits

Once you’re approved, Washington requires you to report:

Total monthly income going above the maximum gross income listed on your approval letter
Lottery or gambling winnings of $4,500 or more from a single game
A household member subject to work requirements dropping below 20 hours a week

Reported changes take effect the following month. Your approval letter lists your specific reporting duties, so keep it handy.

Benefits load onto your EBT card between the 1st and the 20th of each month, with your date set by when your case was approved. Protecting your card and PIN matters: federal authority to replace benefits stolen through card skimming or cloning expired on December 20, 2024, so prevention is now your main defense. Report a lost or stolen card to DSHS right away. Standard replacement for a card stolen in the mail before you’ve used it is still available.¹²

If DSHS Denies or Cuts Your Benefits

You have 90 days from the date on the decision notice to request an administrative hearing. Later requests are only accepted if an administrative law judge finds good cause for the delay. You can request a hearing by calling DSHS at (877) 501-2233, calling the Office of Administrative Hearings at (800) 583-8271, filing online at oah.wa.gov, faxing a written request, or walking into any DSHS office. There is no required form. Explain which decision you’re appealing, the date you were notified, and why you disagree.¹³

1
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2017 – Value of Allotment
3
Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility
4
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Categorical Eligibility for Basic Food
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
6
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
7
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. ABAWDs – Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents
8
Food and Nutrition Service. Students
9
Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
10
Washington Connection. Washington Connection
11
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Basic Food
12
Food and Nutrition Service. Replacing Stolen SNAP Benefits: State Plan Approvals
13
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Hearing Requests