Washington Food Stamps Income Limits and Eligibility

Most households qualify for Washington food stamps if their gross monthly income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level: $2,608 for one person, $3,525 for two, $4,442 for three, and $5,358 for a family of four. Washington’s Basic Food program uses this higher threshold through what’s called broad-based categorical eligibility, which is more generous than the 130% federal cutoff that applies in many other states.¹

Gross Monthly Income Limits by Household Size

These figures apply from April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026. They are gross amounts, meaning total earnings before taxes or any deductions are taken out.

1 person: $2,608
2 people: $3,525
3 people: $4,442
4 people: $5,358
5 people: $6,275
6 people: $7,192
7 people: $8,108
8 people: $9,025

For each person beyond eight, add $917.¹ Under categorical eligibility, households that fall at or below these limits also skip the separate net income test and the asset test entirely.

When the Lower 130% Limits Apply Instead

A few groups of households do not get the 200% threshold and must meet the stricter federal limits. These are households where a member has been disqualified for an intentional program violation, households disqualified after a large lottery or gambling win, and households where the head of household lost eligibility for failing to meet work requirements.¹

For those households, both a gross and a net income test apply, effective October 1, 2025:

1 person: $1,696 gross / $1,305 net
2 people: $2,292 gross / $1,763 net
3 people: $2,888 gross / $2,221 net
4 people: $3,483 gross / $2,680 net
5 people: $4,079 gross / $3,138 net
6 people: $4,675 gross / $3,596 net
7 people: $5,271 gross / $4,055 net
8 people: $5,867 gross / $4,513 net

Gross figures represent 130% of the federal poverty level; net figures represent 100%.² Households that include someone 60 or older, or someone with a disability, only need to meet the net income limit, not the gross.

Who Counts in Your Household

Which row of the table applies depends on how DSHS counts your household, and the rules are specific. The basic test: people who live together and buy and prepare food together are one household.³ Roommates who genuinely shop and cook separately can apply as separate households at the same address.

Two groups are counted together no matter how meals are handled. Spouses living in the same home are always one household. Children under 22 who live with a parent are part of that parent’s household.⁴

Deductions That Reduce Your Countable Income

Most Washington households skip the net income test, but deductions still shape how much you receive each month, because your benefit is calculated from income after deductions.

Standard and Earned Income Deductions

Every household gets a standard deduction based on size: $209 for one to three people, $223 for four, $261 for five, and $299 for six or more.⁵ Working households also get a 20% earned income deduction, taken off wages, salary, and self-employment profits before anything else.⁴ On a $2,000 monthly paycheck, that is $400 off the top.

Shelter, Utility, and Medical Deductions

If your housing costs (rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance) exceed half of your income after other deductions, you get a shelter deduction for the excess. The cap is $744 per month for households without an elderly or disabled member; households with one have no cap.² If you pay for heating or cooling, the Standard Utility Allowance is folded into shelter costs before the deduction is calculated.⁶

Members who are 60 or older or disabled can deduct out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 per month, including prescriptions, medical equipment, and transportation to appointments.⁷

Money That Doesn’t Count

Several income sources are excluded from the calculation entirely. Federal Earned Income Tax Credit payments do not count. Neither do in-kind benefits (someone paying your utility bill directly to the provider), one-time lump-sum payments, small irregular income of $30 or less per quarter, certain educational assistance, reimbursements for job training expenses, or payments from volunteer programs like Foster Grandparents. If any of these show up on your bank statement, they should not push you over the limit.

Assets Usually Don’t Matter

Under broad-based categorical eligibility, there is no asset test. You do not have to spend down savings or sell a vehicle to qualify, as long as your gross income is within the 200% limits.¹

Households that fall outside categorical eligibility do face resource limits: $3,000 in countable resources such as cash and bank accounts, or $4,500 if a member is 60 or older or has a disability.⁴

Work Requirements Can Change Which Limit Applies

The federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 expanded SNAP work requirements. Non-exempt adults up to age 64 must now work, volunteer, or participate in job training for at least 80 hours a month. The old rule covered only ages 18 through 54. Anyone newly subject to the requirement must show compliance by March 1, 2026, and the earliest benefits can be lost for noncompliance is June 2026.

Exemptions apply to parents or caretakers with a child under 14, pregnant individuals, and people with disabilities.

This matters for income limits because if the head of household is disqualified for failing to meet the work requirement, the entire household loses broad-based categorical eligibility and drops to the lower 130% gross income limit.¹ That shift alone can push a borderline household out of eligibility.

Benefit Amounts

Meeting the income limit tells you whether you qualify; it does not tell you how much you’ll receive. Benefits are calculated by subtracting 30% of your net income from the maximum allotment for your household size. The current maximum for a family of four is $994 per month, with a one-person maximum of $298 and an eight-person maximum of $1,789.⁸ Only a household with zero countable income receives the full amount.

How to Apply

Three paths are available. Online at washingtonconnection.org is the fastest. You can also apply in person at a local Community Services Office, or mail a paper application to DSHS CSD Customer Service Center, PO Box 11699, Tacoma, WA 98411-6699.⁹ The application (Form DSHS 14-001) can be submitted with only your name, address, and signature to establish a filing date, with supporting documents provided later.¹⁰ Having Social Security numbers, pay stubs, benefit award letters, and housing cost documentation ready will move things along. DSHS must decide within 30 days of receiving a complete application, and an interview (usually by phone) is required before approval.¹¹

1
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Categorical Eligibility for Basic Food
2
Washington State Legislature. WAC 388-478-0060 – What Are the Income Limits and Maximum Monthly Benefit Amounts for Basic Food
3
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Assistance Units – Basic Food
4
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
6
Cornell Law Institute. WAC 388-450-0190 – How Does the Department Figure My Shelter Cost Income Deduction for Basic Food
7
Cornell Law Institute. WAC 388-450-0185 – What Income Deductions Does the Department Allow When Determining Eligibility for Food Benefits
8
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
9
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. How to Apply for Services
10
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Application for Cash or Food Assistance
11
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Interview Requirements