VT · benefits by state
Vermont benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
Vermont has one of the largest heating allowances in SNAP, a children's program named Dr. Dynasaur and housing limits set town by town.
Federal and Vermont 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
- $4,212/mo
- 185% of poverty (BBCE)
- Medicaid, single adult
- $1,835/mo
- 138% of poverty
- Children, family of 3
- $7,217/mo
- 317% of poverty, Medicaid
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $52,350 to $62,350
- 256 counties or towns, FY 2026
Vermont runs SNAP as 3SquaresVT, through the Vermont Department for Children and Families, with a gross income test of 185% of the poverty guideline: $3,337 a month for two people and $5,088 for four in fiscal year 2027, without an asset test. What sets the state apart is its heating and cooling allowance of $1,096 a month, close to the top of the USDA table, used for any household that pays for heat. A single mother in Rutland earning $2,300 with one child and $1,050 in rent would receive about $305 a month thanks to it, against $239 if she paid only electricity and water. Health coverage is broad: Vermont took the Medicaid expansion (adults to 138% of poverty), and Dr. Dynasaur covers children up to 317% and pregnant women up to 213%.
Household income in Vermont
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP (3SquaresVT)FY 2027 amounts; $1,096 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsVermont: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 317% of the guidelineWithin the Medicaid limitlimit $7,217/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.
Why the heating allowance decides most 3SquaresVT budgets
SNAP lets a household that pays a heating or cooling bill deduct a fixed amount instead of its real utility costs, and Vermont's is $1,096 a month in the USDA table of fiscal year 2026 (standard utility allowances). Added to rent, it usually pushes shelter costs well past half of a family's remaining income, and the excess comes off net income up to the $769 cap. For the Rutland family: rent plus the allowance makes $2,146, the deduction reaches $769, the cap, and net income falls to $854. The household that pays only electricity, water and trash gets the limited allowance of $311 instead, and its benefit drops to $239. Bills for heating oil, propane or electric heat are heating costs in that sense.
Dr. Dynasaur and the adult expansion
Vermont's Medicaid is branded Green Mountain Care; children and pregnant women apply for Dr. Dynasaur, which CMS lists at 312% of the poverty guideline for children up to 19 and 208% for pregnancy, 317% and 213% with the disregard. For a family of three, that is about $7,217 a month for the children. Adults 19 to 64 qualify up to 138%, $1,835 a month for one person, and parents of a family of three up to $3,141. Above those lines, Vermont Health Connect, the state's own marketplace, sells 2026 plans with the federal premium tax credit (ACA subsidy calculator).
317% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
317% of poverty, per year
$86,604
| Per month | $7,217 |
| Per week | $1,665 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
256 towns, 12 HUD areas
Like the rest of New England, Vermont appears in HUD's income limit file town by town: 256 entries grouped into 12 areas. The very low income limit for a family of four, the usual voucher line, runs from $52,350 in Albany town to $62,350 in towns of the Burlington-South Burlington, VT MSA. Choose your town, not only your county, in the lookup at the bottom of this page.
For comparison, New Hampshire also has a heating allowance above a thousand dollars, Maine matches Vermont's, and New York splits its allowance into three regions. The rules behind the shelter deduction are in SNAP deductions.
3SquaresVT (SNAP) rules in Vermont, FY 2027
Run by the Vermont Department for Children and Families · apply online. All households: gross income up to 185% of the poverty guideline, no asset limit.
| Household | Gross income limit | Net income limit | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,461 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 | $3,337 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 | $4,212 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 | $5,088 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $5,964 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $6,839 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $7,715 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $8,591 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
| Allowance area | Heating or cooling (HCSUA) | Other utilities (LUA) | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $1,096 | $311 | $37 |
Green Mountain Care (Medicaid) and CHIP income limits in Vermont
Vermont covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called Dr. Dynasaur. Agency: Department of Vermont Health Access · apply. Marketplace for 2026: Vermont Health Connect.
| 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 | 213% | Medicaid | $3,841 | $4,849 | $5,857 |
| Babies under 1 | 317% | Medicaid | $5,716 | $7,217 | $8,717 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 317% | Medicaid | $5,716 | $7,217 | $8,717 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 317% | Medicaid | $5,716 | $7,217 | $8,717 |
Section 8 income limits by county in Vermont
HUD sets the limits for each of the 256 counties or towns of Vermont (12 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $52,350 (Albany town) to $62,350 (Alburgh town).
Addison town, VT: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $51,850 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $31,100 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $51,850 |
| Low income (80%) | $82,950 |
| 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.