DC · benefits by state
District of Columbia benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
The District cut its Medicaid lines for adults and parents on January 1, 2026, and as a single HUD area it has one Section 8 limit for every neighborhood.
Federal and District of Columbia figures read on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- SNAP maximum, 4 people
- $1,023
- FY 2027, from October 1, 2026
- SNAP gross income limit, 3 people
- $4,554/mo
- 200% of poverty (BBCE)
- Medicaid, single adult
- $1,835/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $7,376/mo
- 324% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $83,050 to $83,050
- 1 counties or towns, FY 2026
Since January 1, 2026, the District of Columbia covers adults without children and parents on Medicaid up to 138% of poverty with the disregard, about $1,835 a month for one person and $3,141 for a parent in a family of three. Until then its adult line was far higher than in any state; adults above the new limit now look to the Marketplace or to District programs. Children and pregnant women keep a high line, 324%, all inside Medicaid itself. Above those lines, DC Health Link sells 2026 Marketplace plans. SNAP, run by the Department of Human Services through District Direct, tests gross income at 200% of poverty, $3,607 a month for two people in fiscal year 2027, with no asset limit. A father and his six-year-old in Anacostia, earning $2,700 with $1,650 rent, would receive about $209 a month. For Section 8, HUD treats the whole District as one area: the very low income limit is $83,050 for a family of four.
Household income in District of Columbia
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $384 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$486/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsDistrict of Columbia: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 324% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $7,376/mo
- Marketplace premium tax creditAmount depends on the benchmark premium where you liveMedicaid comes first108% of 2025 FPL
- Earned income tax credit (2026)2 qualifying children, single or head of householdCredit at tax time$6,282/yr
- WIC (pregnancy or a child under 5)Nutrition risk is assessed at the WIC clinicWithin 185% of povertylimit $50,542/yr
- Section 8 housing voucherLimits are set by county: check yours in the Section 8 lookup.
A first screening under each program's published 2026 rules; every agency counts income and household its own way and decides on your application. How this is calculated.
The January 2026 cut to adult Medicaid
The CMS table of state levels, dated December 2023, still shows the District covering adults far above the expansion line. That is no longer true. The Department of Health Care Finance now states that adults 21 to 64 without dependent children qualify with household income up to 138% of the poverty guideline, a level it marks as new as of January 1, 2026, and that the parent and caretaker limit decreased the same day (DHCF, childless adults, DHCF, parents and caretakers). DHCF publishes the dollar table itself: $1,835 a month for one person in 2026 by our computation, the same line as Maryland and other expansion states. A paralegal in Columbia Heights earning $2,600 a month is at 195% of the 2026 guideline, above the new line; with a $500 benchmark premium, the 2026 premium tax credit on DC Health Link would leave a contribution of about $171 a month. DHCF also runs the DC Healthcare Alliance, a District program for residents with no other insurance who are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare.
Children up to 19 and pregnant women were not part of the cut: they qualify up to 324% of poverty, which puts a family of three at $7,376 a month for the children and a pregnant woman counted as two at $5,842. No separate CHIP is listed: every child is on Medicaid. The subsidy calculator covers adults above the new line, who buy through DC Health Link.
138% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
138% of poverty, per year
$37,702
| Per month | $3,142 |
| Per week | $725 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
SNAP in a high-rent city
District SNAP follows the 200% line with no savings test, and its heating and cooling allowance is $384, with $90 for a single utility and $76 for the telephone (USDA SUA table). For the Anacostia father, $2,700 of wages less the earnings and standard deductions leaves $1,943. Rent and utilities total $2,034, so the excess shelter cost is $1,063; the federal cap holds the deduction to $769. Net income $1,174, minus 30% from the $562 maximum, gives $209. Rent above the cap no longer raises the benefit, unless a household member is 60 or older or disabled; SNAP deductions explains the cap.
One limit for the whole District
HUD's FY 2026 file has a single row for DC, part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area. For a family of four, the very low income limit is $83,050, the extremely low income limit $49,850 and the low income limit $106,800, from Georgetown to Congress Heights alike. Neighbors Maryland and Virginia share the metro area but split it by county.
SNAP rules in District of Columbia, FY 2027
Run by the DC Department of Human Services · apply online. All households: gross income up to 200% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit.
| Household | Gross income limit | Net income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,660 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 | $3,607 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 | $4,554 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 | $5,500 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $6,447 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $7,394 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $8,340 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $9,287 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $384 | $348 | $76 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in District of Columbia
District of Columbia covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. On January 1, 2026 the District lowered Medicaid for adults without children (21-64) from 210% to 133% of FPL and for parents and caretaker relatives from 216% to 133% (138% with the 5% disregard). Agency: DC Department of Health Care Finance · apply. Marketplace for 2026: DC Health Link.
| Group | Limit (% of poverty) | Program | 1 or 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults 19 to 64 without children | 138% | Medicaid (adult group) | $1,835 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Parents and caretakers | 138% | Medicaid | $2,488 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Pregnant women | 324% | Medicaid | $5,842 | $7,376 | $8,910 |
| Babies under 1 | 324% | Medicaid | $5,842 | $7,376 | $8,910 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 324% | Medicaid | $5,842 | $7,376 | $8,910 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 324% | Medicaid | $5,842 | $7,376 | $8,910 |
Section 8 income limits by county in District of Columbia
HUD sets the limits for each of the 1 counties or towns of District of Columbia (1 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $83,050 (District of Columbia) to $83,050 (District of Columbia).
District of Columbia, DC: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $74,750 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $44,900 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $74,750 |
| Low income (80%) | $96,150 |
| Your band | Extremely low income (30%) |
| Adjusted income after HUD deductions | $29,500 a year |
| Estimated tenant payment (30% of adjusted income) | $738 a month |
HUD FY 2026 limits (effective May 1, 2026) and 2026 deductions ($500 per dependent, $550 for an elderly or disabled family). The housing authority decides, and most have waiting lists. How this is calculated.