LA · benefits by state
Louisiana benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
Louisiana moved food assistance under its health department, keeps a single utility allowance and counts its housing limits by parish.
Federal and Louisiana 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
- $5,805/mo
- 255% of poverty, CHIP
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $33,850 to $52,100
- 64 counties or towns, FY 2026
Louisiana families of three qualify for SNAP with gross income up to $4,554 a month in fiscal year 2027, the 200% line of broad-based categorical eligibility, and savings are not tested. The program is now run by the Louisiana Department of Health, the same agency as Medicaid. A Baton Rouge mother with two children earning $2,400 a month and paying $950 in rent plus a power bill would receive about $466 a month, using the state's heating and cooling allowance of $465. Louisiana adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion, so adults 19 to 64 qualify below $1,835 a month for one person. LaCHIP covers children up to 255% of poverty, about $5,805 a month for a family of three, while the Medicaid line for pregnancy is lower, at 138%.
Household income in Louisiana
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $465 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$511/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsLouisiana: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 255% of the guidelineWithin the CHIP limitlimit $5,805/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.
SNAP under the Louisiana Department of Health
Food assistance in Louisiana no longer sits with the children and family services department. The Louisiana Department of Health now publishes the SNAP rules and handles cases (LDH SNAP application page), although the online application still opens on the LA CAFE self-service portal hosted on a dcfs.la.gov address. For applicants this mostly means that letters, phone numbers and office names may differ from older instructions; eligibility follows the same federal formula and the same 200% gross test.
One allowance, no middle tier
Many states publish a heating allowance and a smaller limited one for households that pay only water, trash or electricity without heating or cooling. The USDA table for Louisiana lists $465 for heating or cooling and $76 for telephone, with no limited allowance in between (USDA utility allowance table). So the question that matters at the interview is simply whether the household pays for heating or cooling, and an electric bill that runs an air conditioner counts. For the Baton Rouge family, rent plus the allowance makes $1,415 of shelter costs, the deduction reaches $564, and the allotment is $466. If the landlord paid every utility, the household would claim rent alone and get $326.
Pregnancy, LaCHIP and the adult group
Louisiana's children are covered by Medicaid up to 217% of poverty and by LaCHIP above that, up to 255%: $5,805 a month for three people, $7,012 for four (LaCHIP page). Pregnant women have a much lower Medicaid line of 138%, $2,488 a month for a woman expecting one baby, which is the same level as the expansion group. A pregnant worker earning more than that should still apply, because the agency reviews every group, and above Medicaid HealthCare.gov plans carry the premium tax credit from $21,150 a year for two.
255% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
255% of poverty, per year
$69,666
| Per month | $5,806 |
| Per week | $1,340 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
Parishes and their HUD limits
HUD lists Louisiana by its 64 parishes, grouped into 45 areas. St. Tammany Parish, across Lake Pontchartrain, has the top very low income limit for four, $52,100. East Baton Rouge Parish sits at $47,250, Orleans Parish at $44,300 and Caddo Parish around Shreveport at $39,600. New Orleans therefore has a lower voucher line than the parish on the north shore. Neighbors Mississippi and Texas never expanded Medicaid; Arkansas did.
SNAP rules in Louisiana, FY 2027
Run by the Louisiana Department of Health · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $465 | none | $76 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in Louisiana
Louisiana covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called LaCHIP. Agency: Louisiana Department of Health · apply. Marketplace for 2026: HealthCare.gov.
| 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 (adult group) | $2,488 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Pregnant women | 138% | Medicaid | $2,488 | $3,141 | $3,795 |
| Babies under 1 | 255% | CHIP | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 255% | CHIP | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 255% | CHIP | $4,598 | $5,805 | $7,012 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Louisiana
HUD sets the limits for each of the 64 counties or towns of Louisiana (45 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $33,850 (Allen Parish) to $52,100 (St. Tammany Parish).
Acadia Parish, LA: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $31,100 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $27,320 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $31,100 |
| Low income (80%) | $49,800 |
| Your band | Very low income (50%) |
| 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.