NH · benefits by state
New Hampshire benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
New Hampshire pairs a heating allowance above a thousand dollars with one of the highest Medicaid lines for children, and it buys Marketplace coverage through HealthCare.gov.
Federal and New Hampshire 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
- $7,353/mo
- 323% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $58,800 to $85,700
- 259 counties or towns, FY 2026
New Hampshire households that pay for heat get a SNAP utility allowance of $1,018 a month, one of the five largest in the USDA table, and gross income can reach $3,607 a month for two people in fiscal year 2027 under broad-based categorical eligibility at 200% of poverty, with no asset test. For working families the allowance can run into the federal shelter cap: a father in Manchester raising an eight-year-old on $2,600 a month, with $1,400 rent, would receive about $233 whether he claims the heating figure or the smaller one. A retired neighbor living alone gets the full value of it, $306 against $125. On health coverage, New Hampshire expanded Medicaid for adults up to $1,835 a month for one person and covers children up to 323% of poverty, $8,882 a month for a family of four, entirely within Medicaid.
Household income in New Hampshire
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $1,018 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsNew Hampshire: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 323% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $7,353/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.
When a big allowance stops counting
SNAP deducts shelter costs above half of a household's adjusted income, but for a household with no member 60 or older or disabled, that deduction stops at $769 in fiscal year 2027. The Manchester father's rent alone, $1,400, already sits well above half of his adjusted income. With the heating allowance his shelter costs are $2,418; with the limited allowance of $373, $1,773. Both exceed half of his adjusted income ($932) by more than the cap, so the deduction is $769 either way and the benefit is $233 in both cases. The retiree is different. Her $1,600 of Social Security and $1,100 rent produce an uncapped deduction of $1,427 with the heating figure, and an allotment of $306; if heat were included in her rent, she would get $125. The USDA allowance table lists the figures, and SNAP deductions explains the cap.
Children's Medicaid at 323%
CMS records New Hampshire's children's Medicaid at 318% of poverty for every age up to 19, and no separate CHIP: 323% with the disregard, among the highest lines in the country. For the Manchester father and son, that is $5,824 a month, so the boy is covered. The father, at 144% of poverty, is above the expansion line of 138%; he can buy a plan on HealthCare.gov with the premium tax credit. Pregnant women qualify up to 201%, $3,624 a month for two. Applications go through NH EASY, the portal of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
On HealthCare.gov the father's household of two is measured against the 2025 guideline, as all 2026 Marketplace coverage is: $31,200 a year is 148% of it. At that level the 2026 table asks him to contribute 4.04% of income, $105 a month, toward the benchmark silver plan. His son is on Medicaid, so only he enrolls; if the benchmark plan for him alone cost $500 a month, the premium tax credit would cover $395 of it. Below 250% of the guideline a silver plan also comes with reduced deductibles and co-pays.
323% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
323% of poverty, per year
$88,244
| Per month | $7,354 |
| Per week | $1,697 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
259 towns, and two that belong to Boston
HUD lists New Hampshire town by town. Seabrook and South Hampton, on the Massachusetts line, are part of the Boston metro area and carry the state's top very low income limit for four, $85,700. Nashua is at $73,800, Concord at $64,300, Manchester at $62,800, and the towns of Sullivan County at $58,800. Compare with Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts.
SNAP rules in New Hampshire, FY 2027
Run by the New Hampshire Department of Health and 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $1,018 | $373 | $39 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in New Hampshire
New Hampshire covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Agency: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services · 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 | 201% | Medicaid | $3,624 | $4,576 | $5,527 |
| Babies under 1 | 323% | Medicaid | $5,824 | $7,353 | $8,882 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 323% | Medicaid | $5,824 | $7,353 | $8,882 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 323% | Medicaid | $5,824 | $7,353 | $8,882 |
Section 8 income limits by county in New Hampshire
HUD sets the limits for each of the 259 counties or towns of New Hampshire (14 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $58,800 (Acworth town) to $85,700 (Seabrook town).
Acworth town, NH: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $52,950 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $31,800 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $52,950 |
| Low income (80%) | $84,700 |
| 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.