{"id":125,"date":"2026-08-22T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tododisca.es\/en\/?p=125"},"modified":"2026-08-22T07:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T11:35:20","slug":"snap-elderly-disabled-special-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tododisca.es\/en\/snap-elderly-disabled-special-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"SNAP for Households 60 and Over or With a Disability: No Gross Income Test and Medical Costs Above $35"},"content":{"rendered":"

Skipping the gross income test is the difference between an application that is rejected on the first screen and one that is actually calculated.<\/em><\/p>\n

A SNAP<\/strong> household that includes a member aged 60 or over<\/strong>, or a member with a disability, does not have to pass the gross income test at all, and can deduct medical expenses above $35 a month<\/strong> from its countable income, under the special rules published by the USDA Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA). For a one-person household that means the only income ceiling is $1,305<\/strong> of net monthly income; the $1,696 gross limit that stops other applicants does not apply.<\/p>\n

Two tests, and who faces only one<\/h2>\n

Most households must clear two hurdles: a gross income test set at 130% of the federal poverty level, and a net income test set at 100% of poverty after deductions. Gross income is money before any deductions; net income is what remains after the standard deduction, shelter costs above a threshold and other allowable subtractions.<\/p>\n

Households with an elderly or disabled member face only the net test. The rule is set out on the FNA page for elderly and disabled special rules<\/a>. That single exemption is what lets a household with modest gross income but heavy medical and housing costs qualify when it otherwise could not.<\/p>\n

The medical deduction above $35<\/h2>\n

The second advantage is the medical expense deduction. An elderly or disabled household member’s out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 a month<\/strong> can be deducted from income. Because the test that matters is the net one, every dollar deducted moves the household closer to eligibility and, once eligible, raises the monthly allotment.<\/p>\n

It is worth remembering that this only works if the costs are reported and documented. A household that never mentions its prescription, dental or transport costs is assessed as though it had none.<\/p>\n

The FY2026 income limits<\/h2>\n

These figures apply in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia through September 30, 2026<\/strong>, and come from the USDA FY2026 SNAP cost-of-living memo<\/a>. Gross limit first, then net limit, by household size:<\/p>\n