Appendix A: SNAP Vehicle Resource Guide

There are five steps in determining the value of vehicles.

  1. Exclude one vehicle, licensed or unlicensed, per household regardless of use, equity, or fair market value and any licensed or unlicensed vehicle with an equity value of $1,500 or less.

  2. Determine if any of the household’s vehicles are excludable. A vehicle is excludable if:

  1. For vehicles that are not excluded under step 1, the vehicle’s fair market value (based on the used-car blue book or other approved source) must be evaluated. If the amount is greater than $4,650, the excess may be counted toward the household’s resource limit (see step 5). Under this step, each vehicle is evaluated separately against the $4,650 threshold. The values of multiple vehicles are not added together.

  2. After determining the fair market value of cars that are not excludable under step 2, an equity value may also have to be determined for some of these cars.

a. Determine whether the vehicle is subject to the equity test. Cars exempt from the equity test include:

b. Determine the equity value of any vehicle, licensed or unlicensed, not excluded under step 4a. Equity is the fair market value of a car less any encumbrances (for example, outstanding loan balances).

  1. Count the appropriate amount toward the SNAP resource limit.

a. For each vehicle evaluated under steps 3 and 4, count the fair market value above $4,650 (step 3) or the equity value (step 4), whichever is higher.

b. Add up the values established for each car under step 5a.

c. Add the amount determined under step 5b to the value of the household’s other resources, and compare the result with the appropriate asset limit. If the total is no more than:

For Expanded Categorically Eligible:

For Non Categorically Eligible:

NOTE:    There is no change to SNAP households with all SSI, Cash assistance, or Family Works members.    These households will not have to pass the gross or net income tests or a resource test.  The household meets the resource eligibility requirements for SNAP.

Please see the chart below for a summary of household resource limits:

Household Type

Income Limit

Resource Limit

Households having an Elderly/Disabled member

200% FPIG

No Limit

No Elderly (above age 60)/ Disabled member and no member sanctioned or disqualified

160% FPIG

No Limit

Households with a disqualified or sanctioned member

130% FPIG

$3,000

Households with a disqualified or sanctioned member and an Elderly/Disabled member

130% FPIG

$4,500

Households having an Elderly/Disabled member with income above 200% FPIG

100% FPIG (net test)

$4,500

NOTE:  The change from $4,250 to $4,500 was implemented October 1, 2024 as a result of the annual Mass Grant Change.

 

Updated September 30, 2024,  replacing March 3, 2022