Texas SNAP for Grandparents Raising a Grandchild: Household Rules and How to Apply

SNAP Household Rules Are Not the Same as TANF Rules

If you already know that Child-Only TANF excludes your income, you might assume SNAP works the same way. It does not. SNAP uses a "purchase and prepare food together" test that usually combines everyone in the home into one household — including the grandparent's income.

Under HHSC Texas Works Handbook § A-1320, people who buy and prepare meals together are a single SNAP household. Since most grandparents raising grandchildren share a kitchen and meals, HHSC counts the grandparent's income in the SNAP determination. This is the default, and arguing otherwise requires unusual living arrangements.

There is a narrow exception: if you and the child genuinely purchase and prepare food separately — separate groceries, separate meals — the child could theoretically be evaluated as their own SNAP household. In practice, HHSC rarely accepts this for a minor child living with a grandparent who exercises parental control, because policy mandates that a child under 18 and the adult exercising parental authority over them be in the same SNAP household.

Income Limits and What Your Household Size Means

Most Texas SNAP households are evaluated under Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility, which uses a gross income limit of 165% of the Federal Poverty Level. If your household includes someone age 60 or older or someone with a disability, the gross income test is waived entirely — only the net income test at 100% FPL applies.

This matters for grandparents. If you are 60 or older, your household only needs to pass the net income test, and you get to subtract significant deductions first.

Current monthly limits for Federal Fiscal Year 2027:

Deductions That Work in Your Favor

SNAP calculates net income after subtracting allowable deductions. For grandparents and elderly caregivers, the key deductions are:

Standard deduction: Every household gets this automatically — the amount depends on household size.

Earned income deduction: 20% of all earned income is excluded.

Excess shelter cost deduction: If your housing costs (rent/mortgage, utilities, property tax, insurance) exceed half your countable income after other deductions, the excess is deducted. There is a cap for most households, but households with an elderly or disabled member have no shelter deduction cap.

Medical expense deduction (age 60+): Out-of-pocket medical expenses exceeding $35 per month — prescriptions, co-pays, Medicare premiums, medical supplies, transportation to appointments — are deducted from income. This is only available to elderly (60+) or disabled household members, and it can dramatically reduce net income.

Dependent care deduction: Childcare costs while you work or attend training are deductible.

These deductions stack. A grandparent age 63 with $2,200 in Social Security, $400 in shelter costs, and $150 in monthly medical expenses can end up well under the net income limit for a two-person household.

One-Time TANF Does Not Count Against SNAP

If you receive the $1,000 One-Time TANF for Relatives payment, it is explicitly excluded from SNAP calculations — both as income in the month you receive it and as a resource afterward. It will not reduce your food benefits.

How to Apply

Apply through Your Texas Benefits at yourtexasbenefits.com, by calling 2-1-1, or at your local HHSC office. The SNAP application is part of the same H1010 process used for TANF, so you can apply for both programs simultaneously.

When applying, include all household members who buy and prepare food together. List your income, the child's income (if any), and your deductible expenses. Bring documentation:

• Proof of income (Social Security award letter, pay stubs, pension statements)
• Proof of shelter costs (lease, mortgage statement, utility bills)
• Medical expense receipts if you are 60 or older
• Proof of the child's identity and residency

HHSC processes SNAP applications within 30 days. Households with very low income or resources may qualify for expedited processing within 7 days.

Putting SNAP Together with TANF and Medicaid

SNAP, Child-Only TANF, and Medicaid are separate programs with different income rules, but they interact. A child approved for TANF automatically qualifies for Medicaid. SNAP has its own determination. Applying for all three at once through the same H1010 form is the most efficient approach.

Our Texas Kinship Financial Help Guide walks through all three programs together, with income worksheets that show what counts for each program so you can estimate your eligibility before you apply.

See more Texas guides →