SNAP for a Grandchild Living with a Grandparent in Pennsylvania

SNAP (food stamps) works differently from Child-Only TANF when you're a grandparent raising a grandchild in Pennsylvania. The biggest difference: your income counts. TANF ignores the caregiver's income for the child-only grant, but SNAP looks at household income and composition — people who live together and share meals generally apply together, and some federal rules require certain household members to be included even if they prepare meals separately.

That said, Pennsylvania's income limits are more generous than you might expect, and there are deductions that lower your countable income considerably.

Household Composition Rules

Under federal SNAP regulations (7 CFR § 273.1) and Pennsylvania's rules (55 Pa. Code § 550.51), a child under 18 (other than a foster child) who lives with a relative caregiver and is under that caregiver's "parental control" must be included in the caregiver's SNAP household, even if they purchase and prepare meals separately.

If your non-foster grandchild lives with you and is under your parental control, they must be part of your SNAP household. Foster children follow a separate rule. For informal relative care, there's no separate child-only SNAP case like there is for TANF.

This means your income, the child's TANF grant, and any other household income all factor into the SNAP calculation.

Income Limits and Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility

Pennsylvania uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE), which raises the gross income limit to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level for most households. For a two-person household (you and one grandchild), that's $3,608 per month (about $43,296 annually) for October 2026 through September 2027.

Net income still matters for the benefit amount. After deductions, your net income determines how much the household receives each month.

Key deductions include:

• Standard deduction (varies by household size)
• 20% earned income deduction (if you work)
• Dependent care costs (childcare expenses you pay so you can work or attend training)
• Excess shelter costs (rent, mortgage, property tax, and utilities above a certain threshold)
• Medical expenses over $35/month for elderly or disabled household members

How the Child's TANF Grant Affects SNAP

The child's Child-Only TANF grant counts as unearned income in the SNAP household. This means receiving TANF slightly reduces your SNAP benefit — but you still come out ahead financially because TANF provides cash while SNAP provides food benefits. The two programs serve different needs.

Children receiving TANF or SNAP are also directly certified for free school meals without submitting a separate application to the school.

How to Apply

Apply through COMPASS or at your County Assistance Office using Form PA 600. The same application covers TANF, SNAP, and Medical Assistance — check all three when you file.

If your household's income is very low and you have almost no liquid assets, your SNAP application may qualify for expedited processing within 5 calendar days. The caseworker evaluates this automatically.

What Changes When a Child Moves In

If you already receive SNAP and a grandchild moves into your home, you need to report the household composition change to the CAO within 10 days. Adding the child changes your household size, which can increase your benefit amount (larger household = higher allotment and higher deduction thresholds).

Don't delay reporting — if the child has been in your home and you haven't told the CAO, the eventual adjustment can create overpayment issues going the other direction.

If SNAP Is Denied

You have the right to request a fair hearing within 90 calendar days of the denial notice. Common denial reasons for kinship households:

• Income above BBCE limits: If your gross income exceeds 200% FPL, the household doesn't qualify. Review whether all deductions were properly applied.
• Missing documentation: The CAO may close the case if you don't respond to document requests within their deadline. Reapply immediately — there's no waiting period.

For a full walkthrough of SNAP alongside TANF, CHIP, and every other PA kinship benefit — including how the programs interact — the Pennsylvania Kinship Financial Help Guide covers it in one place.

See more Pennsylvania guides →