PDFWAC 388-478-0060

What are the income limits and maximum benefit amounts for basic food?

(1) If your assistance unit (AU) meets all other eligibility requirements for basic food, your AU must have income at or below the limits in columns B and C of this subsection to get basic food, unless you meet one of the exceptions listed below in subsection (2) of this section.
The maximum monthly food assistance benefit your AU could receive is listed in column D of this subsection.
EFFECTIVE 10/1/2023
Column A
Number of Eligible AU Members
Column B
Maximum Gross
Monthly Income
Column C
Maximum Net
(Countable) Monthly Income
Column D
Maximum
Allotment
Column E
165% of
Poverty Level
1
$1,580
 
$1,215
 
$291
 
$2,005
 
2
2,137
 
1,644
 
535
 
2,712
 
3
2,694
 
2,072
 
766
 
3,419
 
4
3,250
 
2,500
 
973
 
4,125
 
5
3,807
 
2,929
 
1,155
 
4,832
 
6
4,364
 
3,357
 
1,386
 
5,539
 
7
4,921
 
3,785
 
1,532
 
6,246
 
8
5,478
 
4,214
 
1,751
 
6,952
 
9
6,035
 
4,643
 
1,970
 
7,659
 
10
6,592
 
5,072
 
2,189
 
8,366
 
Each Additional Member
+ 557
 
+ 429
 
+ 219
 
+ 707
 
(2) Exceptions:
(a) If your AU is categorically eligible as under WAC 388-414-0001, your AU does not have to meet the gross or net income standards in columns B and C of subsection (1) of this section. We budget your AU's income to decide the amount of basic food your AU will receive.
(b) If your AU includes a member who is 60 years of age or older or has a disability, your AU's income must be at or below the limit in column C of subsection (1) of this section.
(c) If you are 60 years of age or older and cannot buy and cook your own meals because of a permanent disability, we will use column E of subsection (1) of this section to decide if you can be a separate AU.
(d) If your AU has zero income, your benefits are the maximum allotment in column D of subsection (1) of this section, based on the number of eligible members in your AU.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. WSR 24-06-065, § 388-478-0060, filed 3/4/24, effective 4/4/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, 74.08A.120, and 74.08A.250. WSR 23-07-095, § 388-478-0060, filed 3/17/23, effective 4/17/23; WSR 22-09-040, § 388-478-0060, filed 4/13/22, effective 5/14/22. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120 and 7 C.F.R. § 273.9 (a)(3), "USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, SNAP—Fiscal Year 2021 Cost-of-Living Adjustments (July 29, 2020)," and "USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Standard utility allowance approval letter (August 4, 2020)" and H.R.133 Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021. WSR 21-13-122, § 388-478-0060, filed 6/21/21, effective 7/22/21. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120, and P.L. 115-334 § 4004. WSR 20-04-021, § 388-478-0060, filed 1/27/20, effective 2/27/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120 and 7 C.F.R. §§ 273.1, 273.9 (d)(iii)(B); SNAP - FY 2019 COLAS dated July 27, 2018; and SNAP UA 2019 dated August 23, 2018. WSR 19-01-031, § 388-478-0060, filed 12/12/18, effective 1/12/19. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.120, 7 C.F.R. §§ 273.1 and 273.9 (d)(iii)(B), SNAP Administrative Notice 17-30, and SNAP memo dated August 28, 2017. WSR 18-02-043, § 388-478-0060, filed 12/26/17, effective 1/26/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120 and SNAP Administrative Notice 16-38, dated August 12, 2016, 7 C.F.R. § 273.9 (d)(iii)(B), SNAP 10-6-WA-SUA, dated August 15, 2016. WSR 16-24-051, § 388-478-0060, filed 12/1/16, effective 1/1/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120, FNS per SNAP Administrative Notice 15-28: SNAP - FY 2016, FNS 7 C.F.R. § 273.9 (d)(iii)(B)), and SNAP 10-6-WA-SUA dated August 18, 2015. WSR 15-24-075, § 388-478-0060, filed 11/25/15, effective 12/26/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120. WSR 15-02-041, § 388-478-0060, filed 1/2/15, effective 2/2/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120 and USDA, FNS, per SNAP Administrative Notice 13-26, SNAP - FY 2014 COLAS and ARRA Sunset Impact on Allotments dated August 2, 2013, and USDA SNAP 10-6-WA-SUA dated August 8, 2013, approving the proposed SUA. WSR 14-04-050, § 388-478-0060, filed 1/27/14, effective 2/27/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Administrative Notice 12-28 - Fiscal Year 2013 cost-of-living adjustments dated August 6, 2012. WSR 12-24-018, § 388-478-0060, filed 11/27/12, effective 12/28/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120, "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Fiscal Year 2012 Cost of Living Adjustments" memo dated August 2, 2011, and "SNAP Standard Utility (SUA) Annual Review and Adjustment Waiver for Certain States—Modification and Extension" memo dated December 2, 2010. WSR 11-24-027, § 388-478-0060, filed 12/1/11, effective 1/1/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 7 C.F.R. 273.9. WSR 09-24-001, § 388-478-0060, filed 11/18/09, effective 12/19/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.04.500, 74.08A.120, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. WSR 09-14-018, § 388-478-0060, filed 6/22/09, effective 7/23/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. WSR 08-24-050, § 388-478-0060, filed 11/25/08, effective 12/26/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510 and 7 C.F.R. § 273.9. WSR 07-22-035, § 388-478-0060, filed 10/30/07, effective 11/30/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090 and 7 C.F.R. § 273.9. WSR 06-21-012, § 388-478-0060, filed 10/6/06, effective 11/6/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. WSR 05-21-101, § 388-478-0060, filed 10/18/05, effective 11/18/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057. WSR 04-23-025, § 388-478-0060, filed 11/8/04, effective 12/9/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. WSR 03-21-030, § 388-478-0060, filed 10/7/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. WSR 02-21-050, § 388-478-0060, filed 10/14/02, effective 12/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510. WSR 01-21-059, § 388-478-0060, filed 10/16/01, effective 12/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510, 74.08.090. WSR 00-23-013, § 388-478-0060, filed 11/3/00, effective 12/4/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510. WSR 99-24-053, § 388-478-0060, filed 11/29/99, effective 12/30/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. WSR 99-16-024, § 388-478-0060, filed 7/26/99, effective 9/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090. WSR 99-05-074, § 388-478-0060, filed 2/17/99, effective 3/20/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. WSR 98-16-044, § 388-478-0060, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]