WELFARE
SNAP benefits in California 2023: How much money do you have to make a month to qualify?
Low-income Californian households can be eligible to receive monthly payments to cover the cost of food if they earn under a certain threshold.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance programme (SNAP) is designed to provide financial assistance for low-income households. The monthly payments are a supplement for the household food budget to ensure that recipients can afford to purchase healthy food.
The programme, also known as food stamps, is jointly overseen by federal and state authorities, meaning that the delivery of the support varies across the country. In California the programme is known as CalFresh; a state-supervised and county-operated initiative.
California has no asset or resource limit for SNAP benefits, but does have eligibility requirements on both gross and net income. The gross income limit is 200% of the federal poverty level, while the net figure is 100%.
California SNAP benefits gross income limits
Gross income is the combined total of all household income before taxes have been accounted for. Gross income includes any earnings from work, along with income from any disability, child support, unemployment or pension programmes. Here are the gross income limits, based on the size of your household.
- 1 people: $2266 / month
- 2 people: $3052 / month
- 3 people: $3840 / month
- 4 people: $4626 / month
- 5 people: $5412 / month
- 6 people: $6200 / month
- 7 people: $6986 / month
- Each additional person: +$788 / month
If the household gross income exceeds these levels but it includes an elderly or disabled member, the household may be able to qualify if it satisfies only the net income requirements.
California SNAP benefits net income limits
Net income is the household’s gross income minus deductions, which includes taxes and a number of deductions specific to the SNAP benefits programme in California. Eligible deductions include child support payments, medical expenses, utility payments, phone allowance and essential costs like rent or mortgage payments.
To assess your eligibility, use a SNAP eligibility calculator.
- 1 people: $1133 / month
- 2 people: $1526 / month
- 3 people: $1920 / month
- 4 people: $2313 / month
- 5 people: $2706 / month
- 6 people: $3100 / month
- 7 people: $3493 / month
- Each additional person: +$394 / month
The final amount that you will be able to receive from SNAP benefits is based on your net income and the number of people in your household. As a general rule, for every additional $100 in net household income, your SNAP benefits allowance will fall by $30.