Texas Benefits Eligibility: SNAP, Medicaid, and TANF Limits

Texas benefits eligibility depends entirely on which program you apply for. The state runs three major assistance programs through a single application at YourTexasBenefits.com — SNAP for groceries, Medicaid for healthcare, and TANF for cash assistance — and each applies its own income ceiling, household rules, and work requirements. The gaps are large. A family of three can earn up to roughly $3,757 per month in gross income and still qualify for SNAP, but that same family loses TANF eligibility above about $188 per month.

The Three Programs on One Application

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) processes all three programs through the same portal, so one application covers everything you might qualify for.

  • SNAP loads monthly grocery funds onto a Lone Star Card. Roughly 3.5 million Texans receive it.
  • Medicaid covers healthcare for eligible children, pregnant women, and some elderly or disabled adults. Texas has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, so income ceilings for non-disabled adults are extremely low.
  • TANF provides small monthly cash payments to families with children. Both the payments and the income thresholds are among the most restrictive in the country.

SNAP Income and Asset Limits

Texas uses a policy called Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) that raises the SNAP gross income ceiling above the standard federal limit. Under BBCE, most Texas households qualify for SNAP consideration if gross monthly income falls at or below 165% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The standard federal limit without BBCE is 130% of the FPL.1Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility

In 2026, 165% of the FPL works out to about $2,195 per month for a single person and about $4,538 per month for a family of four.2HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines

Gross income is only the first screen. HHSC then subtracts a standard deduction, dependent care costs, medical costs for elderly or disabled members, and excess shelter costs to calculate net countable income. Households that look ineligible on gross income alone frequently qualify once deductions apply.

Standard federal SNAP rules also impose asset limits. Countable resources like cash, checking, and savings cannot exceed $3,000 for most households, or $4,500 if someone in the household is elderly or disabled. For vehicles that aren’t excluded, fair market value above $4,650 counts toward the resource limit, though your primary vehicle is generally excluded.1Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility Texas’s BBCE policy may soften asset testing for some households, but anyone with meaningful liquid resources should know these thresholds exist.

Medicaid and CHIP Income Limits

Medicaid eligibility in Texas varies sharply by who you are. Children have the most generous ceilings. Non-disabled adults face some of the tightest limits in the country.3Medicaid.gov. Texas Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility

  • Infants under age 1: families earning up to 198% of the FPL
  • Children ages 1–5: up to 144% of the FPL
  • Children ages 6–18: up to 133% of the FPL
  • CHIP (for children who don’t qualify for Medicaid): up to 201% of the FPL
  • Pregnant women: up to 198% of the FPL
  • Parents and caretaker relatives: approximately 12% of the FPL, which works out to roughly $160 per month for a single person

That 12% figure for parents is not a typo. Because Texas has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, most non-disabled, non-pregnant adults effectively cannot qualify unless their income is near zero. Adults aged 65 and older and people with disabilities follow a separate program, Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, which uses different income and asset calculations.

TANF Income Limits

TANF ceilings sit far below SNAP or children’s Medicaid. The maximum monthly countable income for a single-parent household:

  • Family of 2: $163 per month
  • Family of 3: $188 per month
  • Family of 4: $226 per month
  • Family of 5: $251 per month

Two-parent households and child-only cases use different income tables. A relative caring for a child may qualify for a one-time TANF payment at much higher limits — a relative caring for a family of three can earn up to $4,554 per month and still receive that single payment.4Texas Health and Human Services. TANF Cash Help

Who Counts in Your Household

How HHSC defines your household controls which income limit applies, because a larger household gets a higher ceiling.

For SNAP, the household includes everyone who lives together and customarily buys and prepares food together. Spouses who live together must be on the same case. Anyone under 22 living with a parent counts in that parent’s SNAP household, even if they buy some food separately.5Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook – A-230, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Parents and children count as living together even if one is temporarily away for work or school, as long as they return home at least one day per month.

People at the same address who maintain fully separate food budgets can sometimes qualify as separate SNAP households, but the proof bar is high. You need clear documentation of independent food purchasing and preparation.

Residency, Citizenship, and Immigration

You must live in Texas, but the standard differs by program. TANF requires residence in Texas with intent to remain permanently or indefinitely.6Legal Information Institute. Texas Administrative Code 372.251 – Residency Requirements for TANF SNAP is looser. Federal rules do not require a permanent dwelling or expressed intent to stay in Texas permanently; you simply need to live in the state.7Legal Information Institute. Texas Administrative Code 372.252 – Residency Requirements for SNAP This matters for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, who can still qualify for SNAP. A utility bill, lease, or mail to a Texas address can prove residency. A vacation or short-term seasonal visit does not establish it.

U.S. citizens who meet all other requirements qualify for every program. The rules for non-citizens were narrowed by federal law P.L. 119-21, signed in 2025. SNAP eligibility for non-citizens is now limited to lawful permanent residents (subject to a five-year waiting period after obtaining their green card), Cuban-Haitian Entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants lawfully residing in the United States.8Congress.gov. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Related Provisions Prior law also covered refugees, asylees, and several other categories. Children who are U.S. citizens remain fully eligible even if their parents are not.

If you are a non-citizen weighing whether to apply, note that USCIS considers receipt of certain public benefits in public charge determinations. Only cash assistance programs like TANF and SSI count. SNAP, Medicaid, and CHIP do not.9USCIS. Public Charge Resources

Work Requirements

SNAP imposes work requirements on able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). Under the 2025 federal changes, the ABAWD time limit applies to adults ages 18 through 64, and to adults whose youngest child is 14 or older.8Congress.gov. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Related Provisions An ABAWD subject to the time limit must work or participate in qualifying activities for an average of at least 20 hours per week or risk losing benefits.

Exemptions still exist for people medically certified as unfit for work, those already meeting work requirements through another program, and individuals who qualify as Indians, Urban Indians, or California Indians under cross-referenced federal statutes. The 2025 legislation removed earlier exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals who aged out of foster care.

TANF carries its own work participation requirements, generally requiring recipients to engage in work activities within a set timeframe after benefits begin. Medicaid has no work requirement in Texas.

How to Apply

Texas accepts applications four ways:

  • Online at YourTexasBenefits.com
  • In person at a local HHSC benefits office (dial 2-1-1 to find one)
  • By mail to HHSC, P.O. Box 149027, Austin, TX 78714-9027
  • By fax to 877-447-2839

Gather paperwork before you start. You will need Social Security numbers for every household member; proof of income (last three pay stubs for SNAP and TANF, or one pay stub from the last 60 days for Medicaid and CHIP); a government photo ID; proof of your Texas address; documentation of rent or mortgage, utilities, property taxes, childcare, and medical expenses for elderly or disabled members; and current bank balances.10Your Texas Benefits. H1858 – Items We Might Need

Pay verification is not required for amounts older than 60 days before the interview.11Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-1370 – Verification Requirements If you cannot provide everything during the interview, HHSC must give you at least 10 days to submit what’s missing.12Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-130 – Interview Procedures

HHSC conducts an interview for SNAP applications, usually by phone. The applicant or their spouse must participate, or you can designate an authorized representative who signs the application alongside you. HHSC must issue a SNAP decision within 30 days of filing.

Expedited SNAP for Financial Emergencies

If your household is in a financial emergency, you may qualify for expedited SNAP, which delivers benefits within seven calendar days rather than the standard 30. You qualify if:

  • Your household has less than $150 in gross monthly income and $100 or less in liquid resources, or
  • Your combined monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than your monthly rent or mortgage plus utilities.

Migrant or seasonal farmworkers who meet destitute criteria also qualify.13Texas Health and Human Services. Texas Works Handbook A-140 – Expedited Service HHSC must issue benefits the same day if possible, and no later than seven calendar days from filing. You can delay submitting verification documents other than proof of identity until after your first month’s benefits arrive.14eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing Being accurate about your income and expenses on the application matters here. Understating expenses or overstating income to look less needy can cost you the faster timeline.

If You’re Denied

If HHSC denies your application or reduces or terminates existing benefits, you have the right to a fair hearing. The deadline is 90 calendar days from the effective date of the action or the date of the adverse notice, whichever is later.15Texas Health and Human Services. Fair Fraud Hearings Handbook 1400 – Submitting a Fair Hearing Request You can submit the request in writing or verbally.

A separate, shorter deadline applies if you want current benefits to continue during the appeal: you must file the hearing request before the effective date on the adverse action notice.16Texas Health and Human Services. Community Care Services Eligibility Handbook 2900 – Appeals and Fair Hearings Miss that window and benefits stop while the review runs, even if you ultimately win. If you receive continued benefits during the appeal and lose, HHSC can recover the overpayment.

Fair hearings cost nothing. You can represent yourself or bring an attorney or authorized representative. For SNAP, you can also appeal your current benefit level at any time during a certification period, or appeal a denial of restored benefits lost within the past year.