Welfare in Delaware: TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and Childcare

Welfare in Delaware is run by the Department of Health and Social Services through its Division of Social Services (DSS), and the main programs cover four needs: cash assistance (TANF), food (SNAP), health coverage (Medicaid and CHIP), and childcare subsidies (Purchase of Care). You apply for all of them through one online portal, ASSIST, at assist.dhss.delaware.gov, or on paper at any State Service Center.¹ Eligibility, benefit amounts, and ongoing requirements differ program by program, so what you qualify for and what you have to do to keep it depends on which benefits you need.

TANF Cash Assistance

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is Delaware’s monthly cash payment for low-income households with children. A family of three generally qualifies with gross monthly income under roughly $2,985 (about 139% of the federal poverty level), and the maximum monthly payment for that family size is about $338. Your actual check depends on household size and countable income.²

Delaware caps lifetime TANF cash benefits at 36 months for most families, well below the 60-month federal maximum.³⁴ Every month you receive TANF counts toward the cap, consecutive or not. Federal law lets states exempt up to 20% of their caseload for hardship or domestic violence, but those slots are limited.

Work Hours and the Contract of Mutual Responsibility

Once approved, you develop a Contract of Mutual Responsibility (CMR) with your caseworker. The CMR sets out your work activities, family obligations, and (for teen parents) education requirements, along with the supportive services DSS will provide. You don’t need a completed CMR to apply, but you’ll build one after approval.

Required weekly hours depend on your household:

Single parent with a child under 6: at least 20 hours per week
Single parent with no children under 6: at least 30 hours per week
Two-parent family without subsidized childcare: at least 35 hours per week
Two-parent family receiving subsidized childcare: at least 55 hours per week

Qualifying activities include paid work, on-the-job training, community service, work experience programs, and, for a limited period, job search.²

What Happens If You Miss Your Hours

Falling short of your CMR triggers a full-family sanction: your entire TANF case closes for at least one month. To reopen it, you have to complete four consecutive weeks of full participation at your required hours. The case stays closed until those four weeks are done, so the gap often stretches past a single month.⁵ Quitting a job without good cause carries the same penalty unless you’ve lined up new work at equal or higher pay. If a barrier like transportation, childcare, or health is getting in the way, tell your caseworker first. DSS cannot sanction you if a supportive service it promised in your CMR was never actually provided.

SNAP Food Benefits

SNAP (still often called food stamps) loads monthly benefits onto an EBT card you use at authorized grocery stores.⁶ Delaware uses income limits more generous than the federal baseline, so households rejected in stricter states may still qualify here.

For October 2025 through September 2026, gross monthly income limits and maximum monthly benefits by household size are:

1 person: up to $2,608 gross income; maximum benefit $298
2 people: up to $3,526 gross income; maximum benefit $546
3 people: up to $4,442 gross income; maximum benefit $785
4 people: up to $5,358 gross income; maximum benefit $994
5 people: up to $6,276 gross income; maximum benefit $1,183

Each additional member adds roughly $916 to the income limit and $218 to the maximum benefit. Your actual benefit depends on net income after deductions for shelter, dependent care, and other allowed expenses, so most households receive less than the maximum.

ABAWD Work Rule

Able-bodied adults without dependents, generally aged 18 to 54 with no children in the household and no documented disability, must work, volunteer, or train for at least 20 hours per week to keep SNAP beyond three months in any 36-month period.⁷ If no waiver covers your area and you don’t meet the hours, benefits stop at the end of the three-month window.

Emergency (Expedited) SNAP

If you’re in a financial crisis, you may get benefits within seven calendar days instead of the usual 30. You qualify for expedited service if your household has less than $150 in gross monthly income and no more than $100 in liquid assets, or if your rent and utilities exceed your combined income and resources. You still need an interview, but DSS will prioritize scheduling it.

Medicaid and the Delaware Healthy Children Program

Medicaid covers doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, and more for low-income residents. Eligibility uses modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) as a percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL):⁸

Adults age 19 and over: household income at or below 133% FPL
Pregnant women and infants under 1: at or below 212% FPL
Children ages 1 through 5: at or below 142% FPL
Children ages 6 through 18: at or below 133% FPL

Children in families earning too much for Medicaid but unable to afford private insurance are covered by the Delaware Healthy Children Program, the state’s CHIP, up to 212% FPL. It covers checkups, immunizations, dental care, and hospital services.⁹ One application covers both Medicaid and CHIP.

Childcare Assistance (Purchase of Care)

Delaware’s Purchase of Care program subsidizes childcare so a parent or caretaker can work, train, or address a special need. If you’re employed, you’ll typically owe a family co-pay set by income and household size, with the state paying the rest directly to your provider. Income limits and co-pay schedules change periodically, so confirm current figures with your caseworker or the DSS childcare page. You apply through ASSIST alongside the other programs.

How to Apply

ASSIST at assist.dhss.delaware.gov is the fastest route and handles TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, Purchase of Care, LIHEAP energy assistance, WIC, and other programs in one application. You can also pick up a paper application at any of Delaware’s 15 State Service Centers or 4 DSS office buildings, mail it in, or drop it in an after-hours box.¹⁰

Gather these before you start:

Proof of Delaware residency, such as a lease or utility bill
Social Security numbers for each household member included in the application
Income verification: typically the last 30 days of pay stubs, plus any tax returns, child support records, unemployment statements, or Social Security award letters
Asset information: bank balances, vehicle details, and any other significant resources
Citizenship or immigration status documentation for everyone seeking benefits
Childcare expense receipts if you pay for care while working or training

The Interview and Decision

After DSS receives your application, you’ll be scheduled for an eligibility interview, usually by phone, though you can request an in-person meeting.¹¹ The interviewer verifies your household, income, and expenses against your documents and asks about anything incomplete. Missing the interview without rescheduling can get your application denied, so treat it as a hard deadline.

Decisions generally come within 30 days of the application date. The notice tells you whether you’re approved, your benefit amount, and when the first payment or EBT deposit arrives. Expedited SNAP cases follow the seven-day timeline instead.

If You’re Denied

A denial, reduction, or termination can be appealed through a fair hearing. For Medicaid, you have up to 90 days from the date on the written notice to file a hearing request with DSS.¹² SNAP and TANF notices follow a similar process, and the denial letter will spell out how to appeal and by when. If you request the hearing before current benefits are scheduled to end, they may continue at the existing level until the hearing is resolved. Don’t ignore a denial and reapply from scratch. If paperwork was missing, send what’s missing; if the eligibility decision itself was wrong, appeal it.

1
Delaware Health and Social Services. ASSIST Home
2
Delaware Regulations. Delaware Administrative Code 16-3000 – Technical Eligibility for Cash Assistance
3
Legal Information Institute. 16 Del. Admin. Code 3000-3002 – Time Limit, Temporary Welfare
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 608 – Prohibitions; Requirements
5
Delaware Regulations. Delaware Register of Regulations – TANF Sanctions Policy
6
Legal Information Institute. 16 Del. Admin. Code 9000-9093 – Administering Delaware’s EBT System
7
Delaware Regulations. Delaware Administrative Code 16-10000 – Food Supplement Program
8
Delaware Health and Social Services. 2025 Federal Poverty and Medicaid Assistance Levels
9
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Delaware Healthy Children Program
10
Delaware Health and Social Services. Division of Social Services
11
Delaware Regulations. Delaware DSS Application Process
12
Legal Information Institute. 16 Del. Admin. Code 2101-5.0 – Medicaid Fair Hearing Request