For all low-income families
- If you pay for the care of any child under 18 or a disabled adult of any age, your family can get more SNAP benefits! SNAP used to be called Food Stamps.
- Every $3 you spend on childcare may increase your SNAP benefits by $1 – up to the maximum SNAP amount for your household.
- You can claim anything you spend on dependent care when:
- You are working, or looking for a job;
- You are attending school or work-related training;
- You are doing volunteer work or another activity that the SNAP Employment/Training (E&T) Program requires.
What can I claim as expenses?
Child care or Adult care |
All child or adult care expenses that you are responsible for paying. This includes co-payments; |
Out-of-school activities for any child under 18 |
Any supervised activity, including before and after school, school vacation, summer camps, YMCA, and Boys/Girls Club fees; |
Mileage
|
If you drive your child to or from child care, camp or a school program. |
Public Transportation Costs |
If you or your child takes a bus, subway or train to or from child care, camp or a school program. |
Is there a limit or cap on the expenses I can claim?
No. You can claim the full amount of costs you pay.
Example:
Jane and her husband have two children, aged 5 and 8. Jane works 40 hours a week and her husband is in a full time training program. They need after school child care. Jane earns $440/week. Jane’s SNAP is $394/month. She sends DTA a letter explaining they pay $150 per week for after school care (including transportation). Jane’s SNAP increases to $589 per month!
How do I claim child care or adult care expenses?
You can "self-attest" to these expenses unless DTA finds the information questionable. Write the expenses down on your application or recertification form, or give your DTA worker a signed, sworn statement. See MLRI's Dependent Care Deduction Know Your Rights flier. DTA should ask for proofs only if the information you provide is questionable.