Tennessee SNAP Benefits for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

SNAP Counts Your Income — Unlike Families First

This trips up many grandparents. Tennessee's Families First child-only grant ignores the caregiver's personal income entirely — only the child's income matters. SNAP works differently. If you live in the same household and purchase and prepare meals with the grandchild, you and the child must be in the same SNAP household. Your income, your spouse's income, and the child's income all count toward the gross income limit.

There is no "child-only" SNAP household. The federal "purchase and prepare" rule is mandatory.

Income Limits and the Asset Test

Tennessee does not use broad-based categorical eligibility to relax SNAP rules. The state enforces both income and asset tests:

Gross monthly income must be at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level for your household size:

• 2 persons: approximately $2,298/month
• 3 persons: approximately $2,891/month
• 4 persons: approximately $3,483/month
• 5 persons: approximately $4,076/month

The resource limit is $2,000, unless all household members receive Families First or SSI.

What Income Counts

Countable household income includes:

• Your earned wages and self-employment income
• Pension and retirement distributions
• Social Security retirement or SSDI payments
• Families First cash grants
• Any unearned income received for the child — biological parent child support, Social Security survivor benefits, and child SSI payments
• RCP monthly stipends (the standard cash board stipend counts as unearned income)

SNAP allows several deductions that reduce your countable income: a standard deduction based on household size, a 20% earned income deduction, verified out-of-pocket medical expenses exceeding $35/month for household members age 60+ or disabled, dependent childcare costs, and excess shelter and utility costs.

Maximum Monthly Benefits

After deductions, the net income determines your SNAP allotment. FY2026 baseline maximums:

• 2 persons: approximately $535/month
• 3 persons: approximately $766/month
• 4 persons: approximately $994/month

These are maximums — most households receive less, based on their net income after deductions.

Work Requirements Don't Apply to You

If you're raising a minor grandchild under 18, you're completely exempt from the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirement and time limits. Caregivers age 55 and older or those caring for an incapacitated household member are also exempt from general SNAP work registration.

Expedited Processing

If your monthly gross income is under $150 and liquid assets are under $100, or if your combined income and assets are less than your monthly rent and utilities, you qualify for expedited SNAP processing — EBT issuance within 5 days instead of the standard 30.

How to Apply

Apply through the ONE DHS Customer Portal at onedhs.tn.gov or at your local TDHS county office using the Application for Services form (HS-0012) — the same form used for Families First. You can apply for both programs simultaneously.

Bring proof of identity, Tennessee residence, household income (pay stubs, benefit award letters, pension statements), and the child's identification documents.

SNAP households are recertified every 6 to 12 months, with a mid-period report at 6 months.

Automatic School Meal Benefits

Children in SNAP households are automatically enrolled in free school breakfast and lunch through Direct Certification — no separate school meal application needed. During summer months, children directly certified for free school meals receive Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) food credits of $120 per eligible child, loaded onto the household's EBT card.

The Tennessee Kinship Financial Help Guide includes a child-versus-caregiver income separator worksheet that shows which programs count your income and which don't — so you can apply for every benefit the child qualifies for without leaving money on the table.

See more Tennessee guides →