What Is the Income Limit for Food Stamps in Wisconsin?

To qualify for FoodShare, Wisconsin’s version of SNAP, most households must have gross monthly income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and net income at or below 100% of poverty. For the benefit year running October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, that means the income limit for food stamps in Wisconsin is $2,610 in gross monthly income for a single person and $5,360 for a household of four, with the ceiling rising by $918 for each additional person.¹

Gross Monthly Income Limits by Household Size

Wisconsin uses broad-based categorical eligibility, which lifts the gross income ceiling to 200% of the federal poverty level for most applicants. If your household’s total gross monthly income falls at or below the figure for your size, you clear the first test:¹

1 person: $2,610
2 people: $3,526
3 people: $4,442
4 people: $5,360
5 people: $6,276
6 people: $7,192
7 people: $8,110
8 people: $9,026
Each additional person: add $918

What Counts as Gross Income

Gross income is everything your household takes in before taxes or deductions. That includes wages, Social Security, unemployment compensation, and similar sources.¹ Add up what everyone in the household receives in a typical month and compare that total to the limit for your household size.

Net Income Limits After Deductions

Clearing the gross test isn’t enough on its own. Your net income, calculated after approved deductions are subtracted from your gross figure, also has to fall at or below 100% of the federal poverty level. The 2025–2026 net ceilings are:²

1 person: $1,305
2 people: $1,763
3 people: $2,221
4 people: $2,680
5 people: $3,138
6 people: $3,596
7 people: $4,055
8 people: $4,513
Each additional person: add $459

This is the test that catches two very different households. If your gross income sits near the 200% ceiling, deductions can still bring your net below the 100% line and keep you eligible. If your gross income is modest but you have no deductible expenses, your net may land close to your gross, and that’s the figure the state will measure.

Deductions That Lower Your Net Income

Wisconsin allows several deductions when calculating net income:³

A standard deduction applied to every household: $209 per month for households of one to three, $223 for four, $261 for five, and $299 for six or more.
An earned income deduction equal to 20% of wages, applied automatically.
An excess shelter deduction for rent or mortgage plus utilities that exceed half your income after other deductions, capped at $744 per month.
Dependent care costs you pay in order to work, look for work, or attend training.
Out-of-pocket medical expenses above $35 per month for household members aged 60 or older or with a disability.

Pulling together documentation before you apply is worth the time. Rent receipts, utility bills, childcare invoices, and medical expense records can lower your net income enough to change the result.

When Stricter Limits Apply

The 200% gross limit and the absence of an asset test depend on broad-based categorical eligibility. A household that includes someone disqualified from FoodShare for a program violation loses that treatment and falls under regular federal SNAP rules instead. The gross income limit then drops to 100% of poverty — roughly half the figures above, meaning $1,305 for a single person or $2,680 for a family of four.²

Is There an Asset Limit?

For most Wisconsin applicants, no. Broad-based categorical eligibility removes the asset test, so bank accounts, savings, and similar resources are not counted. You do not have to spend down your savings to qualify.

The same exception that tightens the income limit also brings back the resource test. Households with a disqualified member fall under standard SNAP limits: $3,000 for most households and $4,500 when at least one member is elderly or has a disability. Counted resources include cash, checking, and savings. Going over the limit results in a denial regardless of income.⁴

The Work Requirement Is a Separate Hurdle

Meeting the income limits does not by itself keep benefits flowing. Most adults aged 18 to 64 must also satisfy a work requirement. Federal legislation signed in July 2025 expanded these rules: the age ceiling was previously 54 and applied to adults without dependents, and the dependent-child threshold has also changed.⁵

To meet the requirement, you need at least 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, or participation in a qualifying training program such as FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET), Job Corps, or a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program. You can combine activities to reach 80 hours.⁵

If you don’t meet the requirement and don’t qualify for an exemption, you can receive only three months of FoodShare in any three-year period. After that, benefits stop until you either meet the requirement for 30 consecutive days or qualify for an exemption.⁵

Who Is Exempt

You do not need to meet the work requirement if any of the following apply to you:⁵

You are pregnant.
You have a physical or mental health condition that prevents work, including homelessness-related barriers.
You live with a child aged 13 or younger.
You are a Tribal member.
You care for a child under 6 who doesn’t live with you, or for someone who cannot care for themselves.
You are receiving or have applied for unemployment compensation.
You are enrolled at least half-time in school, training, or college.
You are participating in W-2 (Wisconsin Works).
You are in an alcohol or drug treatment program.

If you are between 18 and 64, check the exemption list before assuming you can skip the work hours. Missing a single month can start the three-month clock.

If Your Income Is Within the Limits

You can apply online through the ACCESS Wisconsin portal, by calling or visiting your local county agency, or by submitting a paper FoodShare Application (form F-16019).⁶ Have pay stubs or other income proof, Social Security numbers for everyone in the household, rent or mortgage statements, utility bills, and receipts for childcare or medical costs ready. A caseworker will schedule a phone interview to confirm the figures you report, and federal rules require the agency to give you an opportunity to receive benefits within 30 calendar days of filing.⁷

1
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. FoodShare: Your Income Could Make You Eligible
2
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. FoodShare Wisconsin Policy Handbook – 8.1.1 Income Limits
3
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Operations Memo 25-13 – FoodShare Cost of Living Adjustments
4
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
5
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. FoodShare: Work Requirement
6
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. FoodShare: How to Apply
7
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing