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New Hampshire SNAP: Numbers First

New Hampshire screens SNAP applicants at 200 percent of the federal poverty level — the most generous threshold in Northern New England. A single person earning up to $2,660 gross monthly can qualify in FY2027, a household of two up to $3,608, and a family of four up to $5,500. The Granite State pairs that expanded screen with no asset test for standard households and one of the simplest deposit calendars in America: every card in the state loads on the 5th of the month, regardless of case number or county.

The net income test still applies — after deductions, countable income must fall under the 100 percent poverty line to draw a monthly payment. All figures on this page are FY2027 values effective October 1, 2026, from USDA tables and New Hampshire DHHS guidance.

DHHS and How New Hampshire Runs SNAP

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) administers SNAP through its Family Assistance Division, with district offices in Manchester, Concord, Berlin, Claremont, Littleton, Rochester, and Salem. Everything starts and manages digitally through NH EASY (nheasy.nh.gov), the state's benefits portal — one login covers application, renewals, document upload, and status checks.

Two phone numbers cover most situations. DHHS customer service at 603-271-9700 handles applications, interviews, and eligibility questions from central intake. Once your case is active, EBT card customer service at 888-997-9777 manages balances, PIN resets, and replacement cards around the clock. Households without computer access can file at any district office, and every DHHS office keeps paper applications in English and Spanish.

New Hampshire runs its employment and training programming through the New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP), which matters for ABAWD compliance covered further down — approved NHEP activities count toward the federal work-hour requirement.

Income Limits: The 200 Percent Screen

New Hampshire is a broad-based categorical eligibility state at 200 percent of poverty, which doubles the federal gross screen. The table below shows the FY2027 limits effective October 1, 2026 — gross at 200 percent, net at 100 percent.

Because the gross screen doubles, a New Hampshire worker earning $22 an hour full-time ($3,813 monthly) still qualifies to apply as a single person with $1,153 of headroom. The net test then decides the payment: deductions for housing, utilities, dependent care, and a 20 percent earned income allowance come out, and what remains must sit under the 100 percent column. Expanding the gross test widens the door; deductions decide how far you walk through it.

The Senior and Disability Path

Households with a member age 60 or older or receiving federal disability benefits get two separate advantages in New Hampshire. First, they skip the gross income test entirely and qualify against net income alone — Social Security, pensions, and modest wages that would fail a 200 percent gross screen can still pass once deductions apply. Second, if such a household does not qualify through the state's expanded rules, it can alternatively qualify under the federal program rules designed for elderly and disabled separate households: those rules impose no gross income limit and apply a $4,750 resource limit instead of the no-asset standard most households enjoy.

In practice, the federal path matters for a narrow group — typically seniors with significant savings whose income runs high. Everyone else in New Hampshire faces no asset test at all, covered next. Fixed-income seniors should also remember the medical deduction: out-of-pocket costs above $35 monthly count, which for many Medicare recipients means prescriptions, dental, and transport to appointments quietly raise the benefit.

Benefit Amounts for FY2027

Approved households receive the standard 48-state allotment table. Zero-income households draw the maximum for their size, and the benefit steps down roughly 30 cents per dollar of countable net income to the $25 minimum for one- and two-person households.

A New Hampshire winter amplifies what these numbers buy: shelter and heating deductions usually peak in cold months, which pushes net income down and the benefit up. Households that fail to report a new heating bill or a January rent increase leave money on the table every year — report both, because the excess shelter deduction recalculates on the spot.

Savings: No Asset Test in New Hampshire

Through its 200 percent categorical eligibility rules, New Hampshire imposes no resource limit on standard households. Bank balances, retirement accounts, and the equity in your car do not count, and the SNAP application's asset questions can be answered without fear for most families. Two carve-outs frame the rule.

For everyone else, the practical advice is simpler: do not drain savings before applying. New Hampshire does not want them counted, and the state's own application instructions say as much.

Deposit Day: Everyone Loads on the 5th

Per the USDA issuance schedule, New Hampshire deposits benefits on the 5th of every month for every household — one date, statewide, no bands and no exceptions. Whether you applied in Coos County or Portsmouth, whether your case number ends in 1 or 9, the full monthly amount appears on your EBT card the same calendar day.

A fixed date is worth planning around. Rent and utilities in much of New Hampshire come due at the start of the month, and the 5th load arrives after those bills clear — so many households time their major grocery run for the 5th through the 7th, when stock is fresh after weekend crowds. New applications approved mid-month still see the first deposit on the next 5th, though expedited cases receive benefits within 7 days of approval regardless of the calendar.

Deductions That Lower Countable Income

Worked Example: A Manchester Household of Two

Dan loads trucks at a Manchester distribution center and shares an apartment with his partner. His gross monthly pay is $2,450, and rent is $1,050. Here is the case as DHHS would compute it:

Gross test first: $2,450 sits under the two-person 200 percent line of $3,608, so the household applies cleanly. The earned income deduction removes 20 percent: $2,450 − $490 = $1,960. The standard deduction takes $217, leaving adjusted income of $1,743. Half of that is $871.50; rent of $1,050 exceeds it by $178.50, which becomes the excess shelter deduction — far under the $769 cap. Net income lands at $1,743 − $178.50 = $1,564.50, under the two-person net line of $1,804.

The benefit equals the $562 maximum minus 30 percent of net income: $562 − (0.30 × $1,564.50) = $562 − $469.35, rounded down to $92 a month, deposited on the 5th. If Dan picks up overtime and gross climbs to $3,000, the same math still passes — the household keeps the case, and the benefit shrinks instead of vanishing, which is the whole point of the 200 percent screen.

Work Rules and ABAWD

The federal time limit for able-bodied adults applies here in full. Between ages 18 and 64, with no minor children at home, you need 80 hours a month of work, training, or approved volunteering to keep benefits beyond three months in any 36-month stretch. DHHS tracks the clock automatically, and benefits stop at the cap until hours recover.

Exemptions cover pregnancy, work-limiting physical or mental conditions, caring for a child under six or an incapacitated person, students meeting student rules, veterans, homelessness, and pregnancy recovery. The New Hampshire Employment Program offers structured placements whose hours count toward the 80 — warehouse training, community work experience, and job search supervision among them. If your hours drop below the line, report the change, claim any exemption that fits, and request an NHEP referral in the same call; waiting until the time limit hits costs months you cannot get back.

How to Apply Through NH EASY

Renewals run every 6 to 12 months through NH EASY, and reporting a change — new rent, a raise, a new household member — takes minutes in the portal and protects both your benefit size and your case status.

Using the New Hampshire EBT Card

Benefits load onto the New Hampshire EBT card, accepted at grocery stores, convenience stores, and farmers markets statewide — Market Basket, Hannaford, Shaw's, and Price Chopper among the heavy hitters. EBT customer service at 888-997-9777 operates 24/7 for balances, PIN changes, and lost cards, and NH EASY mirrors your transaction history between deposits.

The card buys groceries, seeds, and plants that produce food — not hot prepared meals, alcohol, vitamins, pet food, or household supplies. Online grocery purchasing with EBT works at participating national retailers for eligible items, with delivery fees paid separately by card or cash. Farmers markets across the Granite State accept EBT, and several run winter markets in Manchester and Concord where the 5th-of-month deposit meets vendor booths through the cold season.

Treat the PIN like cash. Nobody from DHHS or card services will ever ask for it, and benefits stolen through skimming are replaceable only within federal reporting windows — report suspicious transactions the day you spot them.

New Hampshire SNAP FAQs

Related Guides

FY2027 allotments and income tables effective October 1, 2026 per USDA. New Hampshire's 200 percent screen, no-asset standard, and elderly federal path reflect USDA's June 2026 BBCE chart and DHHS guidance; deposit schedule per the USDA issuance schedule. DHHS makes the final eligibility decision on every case.