How does DTA count income for SNAP?
DTA counts income and expenses using a monthly average calculation of 4 and 1/3 weeks for each month. For example, if your gross earnings are $500 per week, we would calculate your monthly earnings this way: $500 x 4.333 = $2,166.50 per month.
Note: Sometimes, we may count some or all the income of someone who lives with you and has to be part of your SNAP case, but who isn’t eligible for SNAP.
What expenses can I claim for SNAP?
The only deductions allowed for SNAP are:
- Earned Income Deduction: A 20-percent deduction from earned income. This is automatically applied to your SNAP calculation if someone in your household is working.
- Standard Deduction: A standard deduction of $193 for household sizes of 1 to 4 people (higher for some larger households). This is automatically applied to your SNAP calculation.
- Dependent Care Deduction: A dependent care deduction when needed to work, look for work, or go to school or a training program. Learn how to tell DTA about these costs here.
- Medical Deduction:
- Medical expenses for elderly (age 60 or more) or disabled members that are more than $35 for the month if they are not paid by insurance or someone else. Learn how to tell DTA about these costs here.
- Legally Obligated Child Support Deduction:
- court-ordered child support payments made. If claimed, these payments also do not count as part of your income. Learn how to tell DTA about these costs here.
- The Shelter Deduction
The SNAP shelter deduction allows a household to deduct housing expenses that are more than half of its net income (total income minus total preliminary deductions). If the SNAP household has no elderly (60 or older) or disabled members, there is a cap on the amount of costs it can claim. The current shelter cap is $624.
Allowable shelter costs include (but not are limited to):
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Property taxes
- Home insurance
- Fuel to heat and cook with
- Electricity
- Water
- The basic fee for one telephone
We credit your utilities with a Standard Utility Allowance (SUA). The SUA is a standard amount that represents average utility costs in Massachusetts. DTA updates the SUA every year to reflect changes in utility costs. The current SUAs are:
- Heating (or air conditioning) SUA is included in your SNAP calculation when you report that you pay to heat or cool your home. The current Heating SUA is $860.
- Non-heating SUA is included in your SNAP calculation when you report that you pay for electricity that is not used to heat or cool your home, cooking fuel, water, sewerage, garbage, and trash collection. The current Non-heating SUA is $525.
- Telephone-only SUA is included in your SNAP calculation when you report that you pay for a cell phone or a landline. This does not include phone cards. The Telephone-only SUA is $60.
You will be credited with the highest SUA you can receive based on the utilities you pay separately from rent. Example: If you pay for oil, electric and a phone, DTA will only use $860 in your calculation (you will not get $860 + $525 + $60).
How does DTA determine my net income for SNAP?
For your SNAP benefit calculation, your net income is your gross income minus the deductions we have listed above: Earned, Standard, Dependent Care, Medical, Legally Obligated Child Support, and Shelter. You will always get the standard deduction. You will only get the other deductions if those expenses apply to your household.
How DTA determine the amount of SNAP benefits I can get?
DTA determines your monthly SNAP benefit level by subtracting 30% of your net income from the highest SNAP amount you can get based on your household size.
What are the steps in the SNAP calculation?
SAMPLE CLIENT SCENARIO:Household of 3: mother and her two minor children. Monthly gross income: Earned Income = $2,500/month. Child Support Received = $500/month. Dependent care expenses: $250/month. Homeownership costs: Rent = $600/month. Electricity for heat.
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