Kentucky SNAP Benefits for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Kentucky's SNAP program is one of the more generous in the country for grandparents raising grandchildren, and that is not an accident. The state uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE), which raises the income threshold and eliminates the asset test. Those two changes make a real difference for retired caregivers who own a home or have modest savings.

What BBCE Means for You

Under standard federal SNAP rules, the gross income limit sits at 130% of the Federal Poverty Level and households face an asset test. Kentucky's BBCE raises the gross income limit to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and eliminates the liquid resource test entirely.

That means your personal savings, retirement accounts, real property, and vehicles do not disqualify your household from SNAP. A grandparent with $30,000 in a retirement account and a paid-off house still qualifies if income falls under the threshold.

Current gross monthly income limits at 200% FPL:

Maximum monthly SNAP allotments range from $562 for a two-person household to $1,023 for four people.

Household Composition Rules

SNAP defines a household as people who live together and customarily purchase and prepare meals together. If you and the grandchild eat together — which you almost certainly do — the child must be included in your SNAP application.

K-TAP child-only payments, KinGAP payments, and legacy Kinship Care payments count as unearned income in the SNAP budget. This is important: the money that comes in for the child through one program affects the amount you receive through SNAP. Plan for this interaction when estimating your total benefit.

Deductions That Help

SNAP calculates the benefit based on net income after deductions, not gross income. Several deductions are particularly relevant for grandparent caregivers:

• Standard deduction: $217/month for households of 1–3, $229 for 4, $268 for 5, $308 for 6+
• Medical expense deduction: if you are 60 or older or receive disability benefits, unreimbursed out-of-pocket medical expenses above $35/month are deductible. Claim a standard medical deduction of $137/month upon verification of expenses above $35
• Excess shelter deduction: housing costs (rent, mortgage, utilities, property tax) exceeding 50% of net income are deductible up to federal caps

These deductions can push a household from a reduced benefit to the full allotment.

Work Rules and Exemptions

Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) face strict SNAP work reporting requirements. Grandparents raising grandchildren are exempt under multiple provisions:

• Caretaker exemption: any household member living with a dependent child under 18 is exempt from ABAWD rules
• Age exemption: adults 60 and older are fully exempt regardless of household composition
• Incapacitated care exemption: caregivers responsible for someone with incapacity are exempt

You will not lose SNAP benefits because you are retired, disabled, or not working.

Applying

Apply at kynect.ky.gov or at your local county DCBS office. If your household has less than $150 in gross monthly income and under $100 in liquid assets, you qualify for expedited processing within 7 calendar days instead of the standard 30.

The Financial Help for Grandparents and Relatives Raising a Child in Kentucky guide includes a household budget worksheet that accounts for the interaction between K-TAP child-only payments and SNAP income rules, so you can see the combined monthly benefit before you apply.

See more Kentucky guides →