The intersection of unemployment benefits and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility is a major concern for those facing financial crisis. While unemployment insurance is intended as a short-term income replacement, SNAP is a food safety net. The interaction between these programs must be viewed from the vantage point of income classification, work requirements, and state requirements.
Unemployment benefits as unearned income
Unemployment benefits are defined as unearned income within SNAP guidelines, which differs from wages or self-employment income. This definition creates the perception that unemployment benefits are included in a household’s calculation of gross income, which has a direct impact on SNAP eligibility limits. A one-person household, for instance, must be under a gross monthly income of $2,510, while a four-person household has a $5,200 threshold (as of 2024). These eligibility limits change each year, so there is a need for applicants to get current figures from state agencies.
Including unemployment benefits in income counts does not typically exclude applicants. Rather, it scales back SNAP benefit levels proportionally if total household income reaches or exceeds program ceilings. As an example, the emergency $600 weekly unemployment allowance during the COVID-19 pandemic added to total income for many recipients, possibly cutting back their SNAP allotments or making them ineligible if combined income reached or exceeded state-level ceilings.
Work requirement exemptions
One of the salient benefits for unemployment recipients is exemptions from SNAP work requirements. For the most part, able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) between the ages of 18 and 54 years are required to comply with the stringent work requirements to be qualified for benefits for more than three months within a 36-month period. But unemployment recipients are exempted since job hunting is simultaneous with SNAP’s goal of giving aid to employable participants.
This exception also extends to general SNAP work requirements, which include requiring registration for work, the taking of acceptable offers of employment, and participation in employment training for 16–59 recipients. Unemployment benefits recipients are taken to be complying with these since taking unemployment insurance benefits already assumes an active work search. Exceptions continue for care for dependents under six, disabled persons, or drug addiction treatment program recipients, irrespective of unemployment.
Income and resource factors
In addition to income limits, SNAP recipients must meet resource limits too—$3,000 for most and $4,500 for households with disabled or elderly members. Unemployment insurance benefits, though considered income, are not included in counting resources if they are kept in savings. In this manner, recipients can have short-term money savings without losing eligibility, considering aggregate assets below program levels.
States can also have broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE), which lifts or abolishes resource limits on families receiving particular federal benefits. In such a scenario, unemployment earnings continue to be included in gross income calculations but not resources. Applicants must consult state agencies to determine how state policies coordinate with federal guidelines.
Application strategies for dual enrollment
Upcoming SNAP applicants receiving unemployment should:
- Document all sources of income: Evidence of unemployment payments, including benefit statements and bank deposits, must be presented to correctly report income.
- Highlight exemptions: Mark unemployment status on application specifically to elicit work requirement waivers.
- Monitor benefit changes: Report changes in unemployment payments promptly since increased income will lower SNAP allocations.
Interestingly, the recipients of unemployment in states that have high-unemployment or so-called “waiver areas” are qualified for extra SNAP benefits without ABAWD work requirement fulfillment even when they deplete regular three-month allotments.
State variations and temporary provisions
SNAP administration differs from state to state, especially when it comes to unemployment benefits. Tennessee, for instance, demands that applicants give Social Security numbers for all members of their family and stricter controls on legal immigrants. California, on the other hand, employs income-to-expense ratios more and even higher-income families with high housing or child-care costs can be eligible.
Short-term federal responses such as the 2020 FPUC program demonstrate these policies’ dynamic nature. While the $600 weekly supplement expired, the precedent the measure established shows how emergency unemployment supplements can play off SNAP eligibility in periods of economic hardship.
