Texas SNAP Income Limits 2026: Who Qualifies (165% FPL)

Key takeaways

• Pass the Texas SNAP gross income test at 165% FPL: $2,152/month for one person and $4,421 for a family of four in 2026.
• Clear the net income test at 100% FPL: $1,305/month for one person and $2,680 for a family of four, after deductions.
• Receive up to the 2026 maximum allotment of $298 (one person) or $994 (family of four), scaling down about 30 cents per dollar of net income.
• Subtract a $209 standard deduction (households of 1 to 3) and up to $744 in shelter costs to lower the income Texas counts.
• Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com for a decision within 30 days, then recertify every 6 months to keep benefits running.

Texas SNAP income limits 2026: the gross test is 165% of the poverty level

If you live in Texas, your household passes the SNAP gross income test when your monthly income before deductions is at or below 165% of the federal poverty level. For one person that ceiling is $2,152 a month. For a family of four it is $4,421 a month.

Texas sets its bar higher than the federal default of 130%. Under broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE), Texas HHS uses 165% FPL as the gross screen, so more working families clear the first hurdle here than in a 130% state. The trade-off is the net income test, explained below.

SNAP is the program most people still call food stamps. Benefits load onto a Lone Star Card (your EBT card) each month, and the program is run by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (Texas HHS), funded through USDA FNS for the federal fiscal year that runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Texas gross income limits by household size (165% FPL)

Find your household size, then compare your total monthly income before any deductions to the limit. If you are at or below it, you clear the gross test. Income above the limit means you do not qualify on the gross screen, with one exception covered later for households that include an elderly or disabled member.

Annual figures are the monthly limit times 12, shown for readers who think in yearly pay. Texas HHS evaluates your case on the monthly number, so use the monthly column when you apply.

What income Texas counts toward the 165% gross test

The gross test compares your total countable monthly income to the 165% FPL limit for your household size. Texas counts earned income such as wages and self-employment profit, and unearned income such as Social Security, SSI, unemployment, child support, and most cash benefits. It compares that total to the limit in the table before any deduction is applied, which is why a household can sit above the 165% gross line yet still qualify on net once the $209 standard deduction and shelter costs come out.

The net income test is 100% FPL in Texas

Clearing the gross test is only step one. Texas, like every state, also runs a net income test set at 100% of the poverty level, and that test never moves under BBCE. Net income is what is left after SNAP deductions come out of your gross pay.

For a household of one, the net limit is $1,305 a month. For a family of four it is $2,680 a month. These are the federal net figures Texas applies, and they do not change under BBCE. Two households with the same paycheck can land in very different places once rent, utilities, and the standard deduction are counted. The net column decides the case for households measured under the elderly or disabled rule and acts as the second gate for everyone else.

Deductions that lower your net income

Several standard deductions shrink the income Texas counts, which can pull you under the net limit even if you are close on gross. The big ones are the standard deduction, an earned-income deduction, and shelter costs.

• Standard deduction: $209 for households of 1 to 3, $223 for a household of 4, $261 for a household of 5, and $299 for households of 6 or more.
• Excess shelter deduction: up to $744 a month for rent or mortgage plus utilities above half your income (no cap for households with an elderly or disabled member).
• Homeless shelter deduction: $198.99 a month for households with no fixed address.

How much SNAP will you get? Maximum allotments for 2026

Your benefit is not a flat amount. SNAP assumes a household spends about 30% of its net income on food, so it pays the gap between that share and the maximum allotment. The maximum is what you receive when your net income is near zero; every dollar of net income reduces the benefit by about 30 cents.

The maximum allotment is the ceiling, not the typical payment, and it is set nationally for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. for the federal fiscal year. A family of four with almost no countable net income would receive close to the full $994; a family with more net income receives that maximum minus roughly 30 cents for every dollar of net income, which is why benefit amounts vary so widely even among households of the same size.

Who does not qualify even under the 165% test

The 165% FPL gross limit is the main gate, but a few rules disqualify households that otherwise fit the income table. Knowing them before you apply saves a wasted application.

Most college students enrolled at least half-time in higher education do not qualify for Texas SNAP, even when their income sits well under the 165% limit. A student clears this rule only with an exemption, such as working at least 20 hours a week, taking part in a state or federal work-study program, or caring for a child under age 6. The income test still applies on top of the student rule.

Most adults aged 18 to 54 without dependents face a work requirement and a three-month time limit on benefits in any 36-month period unless they work or take part in an approved activity at least 20 hours a week, or qualify for an exemption. People who are not citizens generally must meet specific lawful-status and waiting-period rules before any household member can be counted for SNAP, though their U.S.-citizen children can still qualify on their own.

The elderly and disabled rule changes which test applies to you

Households with a member who is age 60 or older, or who receives a disability benefit, are evaluated differently. They skip the 165% FPL gross income test entirely and are measured against the 100% FPL net income test plus an asset rule. For these households the net column above, not the 165% column, is the one that decides the case.

These households also get an uncapped shelter deduction and can deduct qualifying out-of-pocket medical costs. That combination often qualifies a senior on Social Security who would fail a standard gross screen.

Resource limits and the elderly or disabled exception

Under broad-based categorical eligibility, most Texas SNAP households are not subject to a separate asset test, which is part of why the 165% gross screen is the practical gate. The exception is households measured under the elderly or disabled rule, where an asset limit applies alongside the 100% FPL net test. That is the trade-off built into the BBCE design: a higher income ceiling for working families, and a stricter net-and-asset path for households that skip the gross test.

How to apply for SNAP in Texas

Apply through YourTexasBenefits.com, the official Texas HHS portal, or by phone at 2-1-1. You can also mail or drop off a paper application at a local Texas HHS benefits office.

1. Create an account at YourTexasBenefits.com and start a new application.
2. Report household size, all monthly income, rent or mortgage, utilities, and child-care or medical costs that qualify for deductions.
3. Complete the required interview by phone or in person after you submit.
4. Provide proof: pay stubs, ID, Social Security numbers, and housing costs.
5. Receive a decision, generally within 30 days, or within 7 days if you qualify for expedited benefits because of very low income and resources.

Recertification keeps benefits running

SNAP is not permanent. Most Texas households recertify every 6 months, and some on a 12-month cycle. Texas HHS mails a renewal packet before your certification period ends; miss the deadline and benefits stop, even if you still qualify. Renew through YourTexasBenefits.com to avoid a gap.

When does the money arrive on the Lone Star Card?

Texas spreads SNAP deposits across the 1st through the 28th of each month based on the last two digits of your Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) number, not the calendar date you applied. Your exact day is fixed and repeats every month, so two neighbors who applied the same week can receive their deposits on different days.