Expanded Categorical Eligibility and Resources
Expanded categorical eligibility is granted to most households applying for SNAP. Households granted categorical eligibility are budgeted differently. These families:
- May be able to use higher gross income levels for eligibility, depending on the household type
- Do not need to pass a resource test
- Do not need to pass a net income test
Under Expanded Categorical Eligibility Rules, NYS allows families to use the following gross incomes for SNAP:
- 200% FPL for households containing a senior or disabled member or that have out-of-pocket dependent costs;
- 150% FPL for households that have earned income, and do not meet the 200% FPL criteria; and
- 130% FPL for households that do not meet 200% or 150% FPL criteria.
See the SNAP Standards and Deductions Reference Sheet for the full FPL chart.
Reference Documents
Resources
Households with Dependent Care Costs
Categorically eligible households with out-of-pocket dependent care costs can use 200% of the FPL when testing gross income. Households are eligible to deduct out-of-pocket daycare expenses when all adult members are:
- Working or needing daycare to continue work,
- Looking for work,
- Attending employment training programs—not limited to SNAP E&T or Unemployment Insurance Benefit (UIB) job search, or
- Pursuing education that is preparatory to employment.
Households that Are Not Categorically Eligible
Most households that are income-eligible for SNAP are also categorically eligible. However, there are still a small number of households that cannot be considered categorically eligible and must have their resources and net income considered as part of the application process. These include:
- Households with members who have been disqualified from SNAP due to an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) or other sanction;
- Households with a senior or disabled member whose gross income is above 200% of the FPL per household size.
Senior/Disabled households may still qualify under regular SNAP rules if they meet the following conditions:
- Resources are considered;
- Senior/disabled households do not need to meet a gross income test (GIT);
- Net income must be at or below 100% of the FPL for household size.
Resource Limitations for Households That Are Not Categorically Eligible
Resources are everything owned by the people in a household, including cash, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, lump-sum payments received, and real estate. Money raised through online “crowd-funding” is also countable as a resource if it is accessible to the SNAP household.
The resource limit for non-categorically eligible households with no elderly or disabled members is $3,000.
For those with an elderly or disabled household member, it is $4,500.
Any resource owned by a non-categorically eligible household counts toward the household’s resource limit, unless it is exempt. There are many exemptions from the resource rules. The most common ones are:
- One licensed vehicle for each adult household member (additional licensed vehicles used by children under 18 to attend school, training, or work are also exempt)
- One house (if the household lives in it)
- Life insurance
- One burial plot per person
- Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs)
- New York Achieving a Better Life Experience Accounts (ABLE)
- “Tax Preferred” Retirement Accounts such as Keogh Plans, IRAs, Simplified Employer Plans, Profit Sharing Plans, and Cash Balance Plans
- “Tax Preferred” educational accounts like 529s and Coverdell educational savings accounts
- Inaccessible resource
