The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps program helps low-income households by supplementing their monthly food budget. If you like in the state of Pennsylvania and are applying for SNAP, it is important to know how much in benefits you qualify for. In this post, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of calculating how much you will get in Pennsylvania food stamps.
In this article, we will cover:
- What is Pennsylvania SNAP?
- How much will I get in Pennsylvania Food Stamps?
- Pennsylvania Food Stamps FAQs
How much will I get in Pennsylvania Food Stamps?
To determine how much you will receive in Pennsylvania SNAP benefits, you have to follow three steps:
- Determine your Gross Income
- Calculate Your Net Income
- Determine your Monthly SNAP Allotment
Step 1 – Determine your Gross Income
The first step in the process is to figure out your gross income.
The gross income for your household is the total income earned before taxes have been taken out.
If you are applying for Pennsylvania food stamp benefits, you must determine your gross monthly income to see if you qualify.
Once you know your gross income, use the chart below to see if your income is eligible for Pennsylvania SNAP.
Here’s how to read the chart:
- Start by finding your household size on the chart.
- Once you have located your household size, look in the next column at the maximum gross income for your household size.
- If the maximum allowable gross income is higher than your total gross income, you may be eligible for Pennsylvania food stamp benefits.
- When the maximum allowable gross income is lower than your total gross income, you may not be eligible for Pennsylvania food stamp benefits.
The Pennsylvania SNAP Income Chart provided below shows both the gross monthly income and net monthly income based on your household size.
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Pennsylvania SNAP Income Eligibility Standards for Fiscal Year 2022 |
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Effective October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022 |
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| Household Size | Gross Monthly Income (130% of FPL) | Net Monthly Income (100% of FPL) |
| 1 | $1,396 | $1,074 |
| 2 | $1,888 | $1,452 |
| 3 | $2,379 | $1,830 |
| 4 | $2,871 | $2,209 |
| 5 | $3,363 | $2,587 |
| 6 | $3,855 | $2,965 |
| 7 | $4,347 | $3,344 |
| 8 | $4,838 | $3,722 |
| Each Additional Household Member: | +$492 | +$379 |
* If your household includes an elderly (60+) or disabled person, a higher gross income might still qualifyStep 5
Step 2 – Calculate your Net Monthly Income
Once you have successfully found your gross monthly income, you will need to calculate your net monthly income.
For help on how to calculate your net monthly income for the Pennsylvania food stamps income limit, keep reading below.
How to Calculate Your Net Income
Net income for the v Food Stamps Income Limits is your household’s total gross monthly income minus any allowable expenses.
All allowable expenses should be subtracted from your gross monthly income. To find out what all of the allowable deductions are, continue reading below.
Deductions Allowed for Net Income in 2021
To calculate your net monthly income, you must deduct approved household expenses.
Here are the expenses that can be deducted from your household’s gross income:
| Earned Income | 20% of gross earnings |
| Standard | |
| Household Size | Deduction Amount |
| 1 – 3 | $177 |
| 4 | $184 |
| 5 | $215 |
| 6 or more | $246 |
| Medical | Allowable medical expenses incurred by elderly or disabled household members in excess of $35 per household |
| Dependent Care | Payments for the care of a child or other incapacitated adult which are necessary for a household member to work, look for work, or attend school or training |
| Child Support | Allowable for payments of legally obligated child support |
| Shelter | Allowable shelter costs (rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance on the structure, and utility expenses) in excess of 50% of household income remaining after all other deductions |
| For households with an elderly or disabled member, there is no limit on the shelter deduction; for all other households, the shelter deduction cannot exceed $597. |
Calculating Net Income with Allowable Deductions
Now that you know what the allowable deductions are, the next step in arriving at your net income is to subtract all applicable deductions.
Subtract any Allowable Deductions
After you have determined which allowable deductions apply to your household, subtract those (in order) from your total gross monthly income.
Doing this will give you the total net monthly income for your household.
If you need additional help doing this, use the example below:
| Net Income Calculation | Example for a 4-person household |
|---|---|
| Subtract 20% earned income deduction… | $2,050 gross income $1,500 earned income x 20% = $300. $2,050 – $300 = $1,750 |
| Subtract standard deduction… | $1,750 – $178 standard deduction for a 4-person household = $1,572 |
| Subtract dependent care deduction… | $1,572 – $362 dependent care = $1,210 |
| Subtract child support deduction… | $0 |
| Subtract medical costs over $35 for elderly and disabled… | $0 |
| Excess shelter deduction… | See below |
| Determine half of adjusted income… | $1,210 adjusted income/2 = $605 |
| Determine if shelter costs are more than half of adjusted income… | $700 total shelter – $605 (half of income) = $95 excess shelter cost |
| Subtract excess amount, but not more than the limit, from adjusted income… | $1,210 – $95 = $1,115 net monthly income |
| Apply the net income test… | Since $1,115 is less than $2,146 allowed for 4-person household, this household has met the income test. |
Determine if your Net Monthly Income is Eligible
Now that you have your net monthly income, you can see if your income is eligible for Pennsylvania SNAP.
Use the chart and follow the steps below to determine your eligibility.
- Start by finding your household size on the chart.
- Once you have located your household size, look in the last column at the maximum net income for your household size.
- If the allowable net income is higher than your total net income, you may be eligible for Pennsylvania food stamp benefits.
- If the allowable net income is lower than your total net income, you may not be eligible for Pennsylvania food stamp benefits.
| Household size | Net monthly Income Limit |
| 1 | $1,041 |
| 2 | $1,410 |
| 3 | $1,778 |
| 4 | $2,146 |
| 5 | $2,515 |
| 6 | $2,883 |
| 7 | $3,251 |
| 8 | $3,620 |
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Each additional member
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➕ $360 |
If you have determined that your gross and net income are eligible for food assistance benefits and would like to know how much you can expect to receive, continue below.
Pennsylvania Food Stamps Calculator – How Much in Food Stamps will I get?
Once you determine you qualify for food stamps, you probably want to know how much in benefits your household will get on a monthly basis. See the chart below for details. You will find that the maximum benefits you can get is based on the number of people in your household.
| Maximum SNAP Benefit Amount by Household Size for Pennsylvania | |
| Effective October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022 | |
| Household Size | Maximum SNAP Benefit Allotment |
| 1 | $250 |
| 2 | $459 |
| 3 | $658 |
| 4 | $835 |
| 5 | $992 |
| 6 | $1,190 |
| 7 | $1,316 |
| 8 | $1,504 |
| Each Additional Household Member: | +$188 |
Note: The allotments described here are for households in Pennsylvania.
Check out the example for a SNAP benefit calculation below:
| Benefit Calculation | Example |
|---|---|
| Multiply net income by 30%… (Round up) | $1,115 net monthly income x 0.3 = 334.5 (round up to $335) |
| Subtract 30% of net income from the maximum allotment for the household size… | $680 maximum allotment for 4-person household – $335 (30% of net income) = $345, SNAP Allotment for a full month |
Pennsylvania Food Stamps FAQs
Here are the most frequently asked questions about applying for Pennsylvania food stamps:
Can I get PA Food Stamps Today?
You can get Expedited PA SNAP benefits if one of the following applies to your situation:
- Does your household have $100 or less in available cash and bank accounts
and expect to receive less than $150 in income this month? - Are you a migrant or seasonal farmworker?
- Are your monthly gross income and cash and bank accounts less than your
rent/mortgage and utility costs for this month?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may have a right to expedited SNAP benefits.
This means you can get SNAP benefits within five calendar days of the date you apply.
Can Students get Pennsylvania Food Stamps?
Generally, Pennsylvania college students are not eligible for SNAP.
However, there are exceptions to this rule, including for PA Community College students (see below).
Students may be eligible for Pennsylvania SNAP if they are:
- Working 20 hours a week or more;
- Receiving federal or state work-study;
- Caring for a child under age 6;
- Caring for a child under age 12 if the student is a single parent in college full time;
- “unfit for work” (that is, have a medical barrier to employment);
- Under age 18 or over age 50; or
- Enrolled less than half time.
For a detailed list of all student exceptions, refer to Chapter 514.2 of the PA DHS SNAP Manual online here.
Does Walmart Accepts Pennsylvania EBT Online?
Yes. Walmart accepts EBT card purchases at all locations that sell food and grocery items.
In addition, EBT cards can be used to pay for Walmart delivery and pickup orders online.
If you have a Pennsylvania EBT card, you can now purchase groceries online from Walmart for Pickup.
You can only use your EBT card to buy eligible grocery items. In addition, you cannot use your food stamps dollars to pay for delivery.
For details on how this process works, see our post on how to use your EBT card online at Walmart.
What Fast Food Places Take Pennsylvania EBT/Food Stamps/SNAP?
The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is a federal program that enables qualified elderly, disabled, and homeless food stamps recipients to buy food at authorized restaurants. Any state or county can enroll in the Restaurant Meals Program.
The purpose of the program is to help expand food access to those who do not have a place to store and cook food, who may not be able to prepare food or who don’t have access to a grocery store.
Not all states participate in the RMP.
Currently, the Restaurant Meal Program is running in the following states:
- California
- Arizona
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Michigan
- New York
- Rhode Island
In the state of Pennsylvania, some restaurants accept Food Stamp benefits from some homeless, elderly, or disabled people in exchange for low-cost meals.
Contact your County Assistance Office for a list of these restaurants.
Can I get Amazon Prime Discount with PA SNAP?
Yes, as a Pennsylvania SNAP EBT Cardholder, you can get over 50% OFF Amazon Prime when you sign up with your EBT Card.
With the Amazon Prime EBT discount, you can get all the great benefits of Prime at a fraction of the cost.
Also, as an Amazon Prime member, you get FREE shipping on Amazon Fresh groceries.
The regular Amazon Prime monthly membership fee is $14.99. As a Pennsylvania SNAP EBT cardholder, you get Amazon Prime for $6.99 per month.
That’s more than a 50% discount on the regular membership fee.
Best of all, you can try Amazon Prime for FREE for 30 days. After 30 days, you can sign up for the SNAP EBT discount.
Click here to sign up for a FREE 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.
For just $6.99 per month you get all these EBT Amazon Prime benefits:
- One-Day FREE Shipping on millions of eligible Amazon items
- Two-Day FREE Shipping on millions of eligible Amazon items
- Access to instantly stream thousands of Free Movies & TV Shows
- Access to Unlimited FREE Prime Music streaming
- FREE 2-Hour Delivery on Prime Now items
CLICK HERE to Sign up and Save with the Amazon Prime Discount for EBT Cardholders.
Pennsylvania Food Stamps Calculator Summary
Here’s the bottom line:
Pennsylvania SNAP helps limited-income individuals and families buy the food they need in order to stay healthy.
How much you will receive depends on how many people are in your household and the net monthly income of your household.
To be eligible for Pennsylvania food stamps, a household’s income and resources must meet three tests.
These are Gross Income, Net Income, and Assets Test.
There are three ways you can apply for Pennsylvania SNAP benefits: Online, In Person, and By Phone.
Questions?
We hope this post on “How much will I get in Pennsylvania Food Stamps” was helpful.
If you have further questions about Pennsylvania SNAP or EBT Card, please let us know in the comments section below.
If the meantime, check out our other articles on Pennsylvania Food Stamps:
- Can you get Food Stamps in Pennsylvania without a job?
- How long will SNAP Increase last in Pennsylvania?
- PA EBT Card Discounts & Freebies
- Pennsylvania EBT Card Guide
- Pennsylvania Food Stamps FAQs
- Food Stamps Benefits in Montgomery County, PA
