Food Stamps: Can You Apply for SNAP Benefits If You Also Receive SSDI?
Written by
Josephine Nesbit
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If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you could qualify for additional government assistance, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, helps millions of households buy nutritious food to stay healthy on a budget. Although SNAP is a federal program, it is administered at the state level. To be eligible for benefits, you must meet specific resource, income and work requirements set by the state where you live.
SNAP has special rules for the elderly and disabled, and when you apply, all earned and unearned income, including SSDI benefits, are considered, per U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines.
If you’re disabled, your household must meet these two conditions:
- Gross income — total income before deductions — must be equal to or below 100% of the federal poverty line. If you live alone, your gross income can be $1,580 or less. For two people, it’s $2,137.
- Your countable assets must add up to $4,250 or less.
But if all people in your household receive SSDI, then the USDA may deem your household “categorically eligible” for SNAP because you have already been determined eligible for another means-tested program.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the average SNAP benefit per person in fiscal year 2024 will be $189 per month – or $6.20 per day. However, there may be ways to boost your benefit amount.
SNAP allows households to deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses that are greater than $35 per month and not covered by insurance or a non-household member, according to the USDA. Allowable costs include most medical and dental expenses, dentures, inpatient and outpatient hospital expenses, nursing care and other medically related expenses.
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