NY · benefits by state
New York benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
New York has a SNAP income limit that depends on where the money comes from, utility allowances that depend on the region, and the highest children's coverage line in the country.
Federal and New York 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
- $2,960/mo
- depends on the household
- Medicaid, single adult
- $1,835/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $9,220/mo
- 405% of poverty, CHIP
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $44,950 to $84,800
- 62 counties or towns, FY 2026
New York does not have one SNAP income limit but three. A household with earnings can have gross income up to 150% of poverty, $3,415 a month for three in fiscal year 2027; one that pays for child or dependent care goes up to 200%, $4,554; every other household faces the federal $2,960, the 130% test, plus the net income test. In Buffalo, a family of three with $3,300 of wages and $1,050 rent would get about $295 a month, while the same $3,300 from unemployment benefits would not qualify. Utility allowances depend on the region, from $877 upstate to $1,062 in New York City. Child Health Plus covers children up to 405% of poverty, and adults above Medicaid have a Basic Health Program up to 205%.
Household income in New York
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $1,062 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsNew York: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 405% of the guidelineWithin the CHIP limitlimit $9,220/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.
Wages, child care, or neither
The USDA chart lists two categorical eligibility rules for New York, both conferred by the "Helping Hands" brochure the state mails yearly: one for households with earned income, at 150% of poverty, and one for households with dependent care costs, at 200%, neither with an asset limit (USDA BBCE chart). A household with neither, for example one living on unemployment, child support or a pension, goes through the federal tests instead. The three Buffalo cases make this concrete. With $3,300 of wages, gross income is under the 150% line and the family receives $295. With the same amount in unemployment benefits, it is over the 130% line of $2,960 and gets nothing. With $4,000 of wages and $400 of child care, the 200% rule applies and the benefit is $223. Members 60 or older or disabled skip the gross test in every case.
Three utility regions
New York's standard utility allowance for a household that pays for heat is $1,062 in New York City, $988 in Nassau and Suffolk counties and $877 in the rest of the state, according to the USDA table of fiscal year 2026 (USDA SUA table). The limited allowances are $419, $419 and $388. The Buffalo examples use the upstate figure; a Bronx household with the same rent would count $185 more in shelter costs. Applications go through myBenefits, run by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
Child Health Plus and the Basic Health Program
New York children are on Medicaid up to 154% of poverty for school ages and on Child Health Plus above that, up to 405%: $9,220 a month for a family of three, the highest line in the CMS table. Adults 19 to 64 are on Medicaid up to 138%, $1,835 a month for one, and from there the CMS table records a Basic Health Program up to 205%, $2,726. A single retail clerk earning $2,300 is at 173% of poverty: too much for Medicaid but inside the Basic Health Program. NY State of Health, the state exchange, handles all of these. Pregnant women qualify up to 223%, $4,021 a month for two. Minnesota is the other state with a Basic Health Program.
405% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
405% of poverty, per year
$110,646
| Per month | $9,221 |
| Per week | $2,128 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
From the Southern Tier to Manhattan
The five boroughs, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam share HUD's New York metro area and the state's top very low income limit for four, $84,800. Albany County is at $61,550, Monroe County and Rochester at $53,500, Erie County and Buffalo at $50,750, and counties such as Allegany and Broome at $44,950. Neighbors: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut.
SNAP rules in New York, FY 2027
Run by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) · apply online. Households with dependent care costs: gross income up to 200% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit. Households with earnings: gross income up to 150% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit.
| Household | Gross income limit | Net income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,729 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 | $2,345 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 | $2,960 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 | $3,575 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $4,191 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $4,806 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $5,421 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $6,037 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau and Suffolk Counties | $988 | $419 | $32 |
| New York City | $1,062 | $419 | $32 |
| Rest of New York State | $877 | $388 | $32 |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in New York
New York covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called Child Health Plus. Adults above Medicaid and up to 205% are covered by the Basic Health Program. CMS note 11: adults above 133% and up to 200% of the FPL are covered through the Basic Health Program. Agency: New York State Department of Health · apply. Marketplace for 2026: NY State of Health.
| 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 | 223% | Medicaid | $4,021 | $5,076 | $6,132 |
| Babies under 1 | 405% | CHIP | $7,303 | $9,220 | $11,137 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 405% | CHIP | $7,303 | $9,220 | $11,137 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 405% | CHIP | $7,303 | $9,220 | $11,137 |
Section 8 income limits by county in New York
HUD sets the limits for each of the 62 counties or towns of New York (41 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $44,950 (Allegany County) to $84,800 (Bronx County).
Albany County, NY: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $55,400 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $33,300 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $55,400 |
| Low income (80%) | $88,650 |
| 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.