WV · benefits by state
West Virginia benefits: SNAP, Medicaid, ACA, WIC and Section 8
West Virginia pairs a 200% SNAP income test with low HUD housing limits, and covers pregnancy well above the usual adult line.
Federal and West Virginia 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
- $6,943/mo
- 305% of poverty, CHIP
- WIC limit, 3 people
- $50,542/yr
- 185% of poverty, to June 30, 2027
- Section 8 very low income, 4 people
- $37,550 to $64,200
- 55 counties or towns, FY 2026
West Virginia's West Virginia Department of Human Services runs SNAP with a gross income test of 200% of the poverty guideline, $4,554 a month for three people in fiscal year 2027, and no asset test. The heating and cooling allowance is $518 a month. A widow in Logan County who receives $1,350 of disability benefits, pays $550 rent with electric heat and $90 a month for prescriptions would get about $141 a month, because people with a disability keep the full shelter deduction and deduct medical costs above $35. West Virginia expanded Medicaid, so adults qualify up to 138% of poverty, $1,835 a month for one person. WVCHIP covers children up to 305%, and pregnant women can be covered up to the same 305% line, about $5,500 a month for a household of two.
Household income in West Virginia
105% of poverty
$28,800 a year against the 2026 guideline of $27,320 for 3 people
- SNAP food benefitsFY 2027 amounts; $518 utility allowance usedLikely eligible$527/mo
- Medicaid for the parentsWest Virginia: 138% of the poverty guidelineWithin the limitlimit $3,141/mo
- Medicaid or CHIP for the childrenChildren 6 to 18, 305% of the guidelineWithin the CHIP limitlimit $6,943/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.
Disability and the SNAP shelter deduction
A household with a member who receives disability benefits is treated like a household with someone 60 or older: no gross income test under the federal route, a resource limit of $4,750 if the federal tests apply, a medical deduction, and a shelter deduction without the $769 cap (7 CFR 273.9). For the Logan County widow, $1,350 of income minus the $217 standard deduction and $55 of medical costs leaves $1,078. Rent plus the $518 allowance is $1,068; the part above half of her remaining income, $529, is deducted in full. Net income: $549. Her estimate, $141 of the $306 maximum for one person. Pharmacy receipts, insurance premiums and travel to medical appointments are the kind of costs that count; listing them at the interview is worth the effort.
Medicaid after the expansion, and the jump for pregnancy
A single home health aide in Charleston earning $1,700 a month is at 128% of the 2026 poverty guideline, inside the adult Medicaid line of $1,835. Parents of a family of three qualify up to $3,141 a month through the adult group, which is higher than the old parent standard of 133%. The CMS table shows West Virginia covering pregnant women through Medicaid up to 185% of poverty and through CHIP up to 300%, an unusually wide band: a pregnant woman earning $4,000 a month in a household of two is within it. Children use the same 305% line, through Medicaid first and WVCHIP above it.
305% of the 2026 poverty guideline for your household
305% of poverty, per year
$83,326
| Per month | $6,944 |
| Per week | $1,602 |
| 100% guideline (2026) | $27,320 |
Housing limits close to the national floor
HUD splits West Virginia into 49 areas over 55 counties. Jefferson County, in the Eastern Panhandle, has the state's highest very low income limit for a family of four, $64,200. Kanawha County, around Charleston, is at $40,400, and several rural counties sit at $37,550. Low limits cut both ways: rents are lower too, but a family earning $40,000 can be above the voucher line in a rural county while qualifying in Jefferson County. The lookup below shows every county.
Neighbors compare differently: Virginia has the same 200% SNAP test with a household-size utility allowance, Kentucky and Ohio also expanded Medicaid, and Pennsylvania has a CHIP line above 300%.
SNAP rules in West Virginia, FY 2027
Run by the West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $518 | $330 | none |
Medicaid and CHIP income limits in West Virginia
West Virginia covers adults up to 138% of the poverty guideline under the ACA expansion. Children's coverage above Medicaid is called WVCHIP. Agency: West Virginia Department of Human Services, Bureau for Medical 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 | 305% | CHIP | $5,500 | $6,943 | $8,387 |
| Babies under 1 | 305% | CHIP | $5,500 | $6,943 | $8,387 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 305% | CHIP | $5,500 | $6,943 | $8,387 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 305% | CHIP | $5,500 | $6,943 | $8,387 |
Section 8 income limits by county in West Virginia
HUD sets the limits for each of the 55 counties or towns of West Virginia (49 HUD areas). For a family of four, the very low income limit that opens a Housing Choice Voucher ranges from $37,550 (Barbour County) to $64,200 (Jefferson County).
Barbour County, WV: FY 2026 income limits
Within the voucher limit
Very low income limit for 3: $33,800 a year
| Extremely low income (ELI), 3 people | $27,320 |
| Very low income (50%), the voucher limit | $33,800 |
| Low income (80%) | $54,100 |
| 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.