Indiana SNAP for Grandparents Raising a Grandchild

Adding a grandchild to your household means more meals, and SNAP can help cover groceries. But SNAP doesn't work like Child-Only TANF — the rules about whose income counts are different, and the difference trips up a lot of kinship caregivers.

SNAP Household Rules for Kinship Families

SNAP counts everyone who lives together and purchases and prepares meals together as one household. If you and your grandchild live together and purchase and prepare meals together, you're typically one SNAP household. That means your income — wages, pension, Social Security — counts toward the eligibility calculation.

This is the opposite of Child-Only TANF, where your income is excluded entirely. With SNAP, there's no "child-only" track.

However, adding the grandchild to your SNAP household also increases the household size, which raises the income limits and the maximum benefit amount.

Current Income Limits

FSSA lists monthly gross and net income limits and maximum allotments by household size. These are the current figures shown on Indiana's SNAP income page:

If you're a single grandparent raising one grandchild, your household size is 2. Gross monthly income below $2,345 meets the gross-income test; DFR also considers net income, resources, and other eligibility rules. Each additional person adds $616 to the gross limit.

Deductions That Lower Your Countable Income

SNAP uses net income (after deductions) to calculate the actual benefit amount. Several deductions apply:

• Standard deduction based on household size
• 20% earned income disregard — if you're working, 20% of your gross earnings are subtracted
• Dependent care deduction — childcare costs you pay so you can work or look for work
• Medical expense deduction — for household members who are elderly (60+) or disabled, out-of-pocket medical costs above $35/month are deducted
• Excess shelter deduction — rent, mortgage, property taxes, and utilities above half your adjusted income

These deductions can significantly lower your countable income. A grandparent paying $900 in rent on a $1,800 Social Security check may qualify even though the gross amount looks close to the limit.

How to Apply

Apply through fssabenefits.in.gov, at your local DFR office, or by mail. The application covers SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid simultaneously — you can apply for all three at once.

After submitting, DFR will schedule an interview (usually by phone). Have ready:

• Proof of income for all household members
• Rent or mortgage receipts, utility bills
• The child's identity documents and proof they live with you
• Any childcare or medical expense receipts

Standard processing takes up to 30 days. If your household has gross income below $150 and liquid resources below $100, you may qualify for expedited SNAP within 7 days.

ABAWD Rules Don't Apply to You

Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) ages 18 through 64 can be subject to SNAP work requirements and time limits. The caregiving exemption applies when you are responsible for a child age 13 or younger; caring for a child age 14 through 17 alone does not qualify you for that exemption. Adults age 65 or older are outside the ABAWD age range.

Applying for SNAP and TANF Together

You can — and should — apply for both SNAP and Child-Only TANF at the same time through the same fssabenefits.in.gov application. The programs use different income-counting rules, so qualifying for one doesn't automatically mean you'll qualify for the other (or that you won't).

The Indiana Kinship Financial Help Guide covers SNAP household composition rules, walks through the deduction calculations, and includes a Household Income Decision Tree to figure out which benefits your family is likely eligible for.

See more Indiana guides →