Start here
Rhode Island Benefits Calculator: SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and Other Income Limits (2026–27)

Work out your household in Rhode Island
Your month
Start with your state
Then add who lives with you and the money coming in. Everything is worked out here in your browser; nothing you type is sent or saved.
Rhode Island income limits at a glance
| Program | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNAPGross income limit (185% of poverty), households with no one 60 or older or with a disability | $2,461 | $3,337 | $4,212 | $5,088 | $5,964 | $6,839 | $7,715 | $8,591 |
| SNAPGross income limit (200% of poverty), households with someone 60 or older or with a disability | $2,660 | $3,607 | $4,554 | $5,500 | $6,447 | $7,394 | $8,340 | $9,287 |
| SNAPMost SNAP a month | $306 | $562 | $808 | $1,023 | $1,217 | $1,463 | $1,616 | $1,841 |
| MedicaidAdults 19 to 64 (138% of poverty) | $1,835 | $2,489 | $3,142 | $3,795 | $4,448 | $5,101 | $5,755 | $6,408 |
| MedicaidPregnant women (195% of poverty, counting the baby) | $2,594 | $3,517 | $4,440 | $5,363 | $6,286 | $7,209 | $8,132 | $9,055 |
| Medicaid and CHIPChildren 6 to 18 (266% of poverty) | $3,538 | $4,797 | $6,056 | $7,315 | $8,574 | $9,833 | $11,092 | $12,351 |
| WICIncome limit (185% of poverty) | $2,461 | $3,337 | $4,212 | $5,088 | $5,964 | $6,839 | $7,715 | $8,591 |
| School mealsFree meals (130% of poverty) | $1,729 | $2,345 | $2,960 | $3,575 | $4,191 | $4,806 | $5,421 | $6,037 |
Income is before taxes. Each program counts income its own way (some take off deductions first), so a household just over a limit here can still qualify: the calculator works it out properly.
Sources: SNAP – Fiscal Year 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustments (memo and tables, signed August 21, 2026) (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration (formerly Food and Nutrition Service)); 7 CFR 273.9 Income and deductions (eCFR up to date as of 2026-10-29) (eCFR / National Archives (USDA rule)); 7 CFR 273.10 Determining household eligibility and benefit levels (eCFR 2026-10-29) (eCFR / National Archives (USDA rule)); 7 CFR 273.8 Resource eligibility standards (eCFR 2026-10-29) (eCFR / National Archives (USDA rule)); Public Law 119-21 (the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act"), 4 July 2025, Title I Subtitle A "Nutrition", sections 10101-10108 (139 Stat. 81-85) (U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo)); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (218-RICR-20-00-1) (Rhode Island Department of State (Secretary of State), Code of Regulations - rule of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services); MACStats Exhibit 35. Medicaid and CHIP Income Eligibility Levels as a Percentage of the Federal Poverty Level for Children and Pregnant Women by State, July 2025 (Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a federal agency); MACStats Exhibit 36. Medicaid Income Eligibility Levels as a Percentage of the Federal Poverty Level for Non-Aged, Non-Disabled, Non-Pregnant Adults by State, July 2025 (Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a federal agency); Medicaid Affordable Care Coverage Groups Overview and Eligibility Pathways (210-RICR-30-00-1), active amendment effective 08/17/2025 (State of Rhode Island site (rules.sos.ri.gov)); Medicaid Managed Care Delivery Options (210-RICR-30-05-2) - RIte Care (State of Rhode Island site (rules.sos.ri.gov)); Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals, interim final rule with comment period, 91 FR 33348 (3 June 2026), CMS-2454-IFC, RIN 0938-AV98, effective 31 July 2026 (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services via the Federal Register (read as the govinfo.gov PDF)); Public Law 119-21 (4 July 2025; 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'; CMS now calls it the 'Working Families Tax Cut' legislation), Title VII Subtitle B Chapter 1 sections 71101-71121 (Medicaid) and 71201, 71301-71303 (U.S. Congress via the Government Publishing Office); Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2026/2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines (91 FR 23050-23052, FR Doc. 2026-08323, 29 Apr 2026) (USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register notice)); The Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape: Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report (Economic Information Bulletin 304, June 2026) (USDA Economic Research Service); Child Nutrition Programs: Income Eligibility Guidelines (91 FR 17932-17935, FR Doc. 2026-06842, 9 Apr 2026) (USDA Food and Nutrition Service (Federal Register notice)). Checked October 31, 2026.
Download every state's limits (CSV, opens in Excel) Every state and DC, households of 1 to 8 people: each program's monthly income limit and the most TANF pays, as the state pages show them, with the period each figure is for.
Where the cliffs are for a Rhode Island family
- $4,213 a month: SNAP ends or drops, and the family has $296 less a month than just below it.
- $6,058 a month: WIC, Lifeline end or drop, and the family has $73 less a month than just below it.
Worked out by this site's calculator with Rhode Island's rules as of November 1, 2026. Money left means pay, and benefits counted as money, after federal taxes, the child care bill and health insurance premiums. Your own household will differ: put it in the calculator above.
Each program in Rhode Island
SNAP
Rhode Island lets households with no one 60 or older or with a disability with gross income up to 185% of the poverty line (no limit on savings); and households with someone 60 or older or with a disability with gross income up to 200% of the poverty line (no limit on savings) apply (broad-based categorical eligibility). The amount still depends on income after deductions. A household that pays for heating or cooling counts a standard utility allowance of $874 a month with its rent.
Source: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (218-RICR-20-00-1) (Rhode Island Department of State (Secretary of State), Code of Regulations - rule of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services). Checked October 31, 2026.
Rhode Island Medicaid and CHIP
Rhode Island has expanded Medicaid, so adults 19 to 64 qualify up to 138% of the poverty line. By January 1, 2027 at the latest (the federal deadline), adults 19 to 64 covered through Rhode Island’s Medicaid expansion must show 80 hours a month of work, community service, a work program or half-time school, or household income of at least $580 a month, to get or keep this coverage, unless they are exempt (for example, parents of a child 13 or under, people with a disability, and pregnant women); Rhode Island’s own start date could not be read. Where to apply.
| Who | % of poverty | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babies under 1 | 266% | $3,538 | $4,797 | $6,056 | $7,315 |
| Children 1 to 5 | 266% | $3,538 | $4,797 | $6,056 | $7,315 |
| Children 6 to 18 | 266% | $3,538 | $4,797 | $6,056 | $7,315 |
| Pregnant women | 195% | $2,594 | $3,517 | $4,440 | $5,363 |
| Parents and caretakers | 138% | $1,835 | $2,489 | $3,142 | $3,795 |
| Other adults 19 to 64 | 138% | $1,835 | $2,489 | $3,142 | $3,795 |
Monthly income before taxes, counted the way Medicaid counts it (modified adjusted gross income); a pregnant woman counts the baby she expects. The percents include the 5 points of income Medicaid disregards.
Sources: MACStats Exhibit 35. Medicaid and CHIP Income Eligibility Levels as a Percentage of the Federal Poverty Level for Children and Pregnant Women by State, July 2025 (Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a federal agency); MACStats Exhibit 36. Medicaid Income Eligibility Levels as a Percentage of the Federal Poverty Level for Non-Aged, Non-Disabled, Non-Pregnant Adults by State, July 2025 (Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a federal agency); Medicaid Affordable Care Coverage Groups Overview and Eligibility Pathways (210-RICR-30-00-1), active amendment effective 08/17/2025 (State of Rhode Island site (rules.sos.ri.gov)); Medicaid Managed Care Delivery Options (210-RICR-30-05-2) - RIte Care (State of Rhode Island site (rules.sos.ri.gov)); Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals, interim final rule with comment period, 91 FR 33348 (3 June 2026), CMS-2454-IFC, RIN 0938-AV98, effective 31 July 2026 (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services via the Federal Register (read as the govinfo.gov PDF)); Public Law 119-21 (4 July 2025; 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'; CMS now calls it the 'Working Families Tax Cut' legislation), Title VII Subtitle B Chapter 1 sections 71101-71121 (Medicaid) and 71201, 71301-71303 (U.S. Congress via the Government Publishing Office). Checked October 31, 2026.
Rhode Island Works
Cash help for families with children. Where to apply.
Source: TANF Programs by State (Help for Families map) (HHS/ACF/Office of Family Assistance). Checked October 31, 2026.
Phone numbers and where to go in Rhode Island
Each number and address below is the one Rhode Island's own page printed when we checked it, with that page and the day under it. Where we could not read the state's page, it says "Not checked yet". Numbers change: if one does not work, the state's main page has the current one.
Applying is free. Start from the addresses here or the state's own page, not an ad or a link someone texts you, and never pay anyone to apply for you. Is this real?
SNAP (food benefits)
SNAP (food benefits)
- Call
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office fns.usda.gov
- Apply
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office fns.usda.gov
Medicaid and CHIP
Medicaid (Rhode Island Medicaid)
- Call
- 1-855-840-4774 HealthSource RI Contact Center; apply for Medicaid by phone / enrollment specialist (Individuals & Families)Hours: Tues 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.'TTY: 1-888-657-3173Source: healthsourceri.com, checked November 1, 2026
- Apply
- Where to apply healthsourceri.comSource: healthsourceri.com, checked November 1, 2026
- Your case
- Sign in to your account healthsourceri.comSource: healthsourceri.com, checked November 1, 2026
TANF cash help
TANF cash help
- Call
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office acf.hhs.gov
- Apply
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office acf.hhs.gov
WIC
WIC
- Call
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office fns.usda.gov
- Apply
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office fns.usda.gov
Child care help
Child care help
- Call
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office childcare.gov
- Apply
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office childcare.gov
- Open or closed
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office childcare.gov
Help with energy bills (LIHEAP)
Help with energy bills (LIHEAP)
- Call
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office acf.hhs.gov
- Apply
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office acf.hhs.gov
- Open or closed
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office acf.hhs.gov
Your benefits card (EBT)
EBT card
- Call
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office fns.usda.gov
Keep your PIN to yourself and change it often. The federal program that paid back SNAP stolen by card skimming covered thefts only up to December 20, 2024 (Georgia DFCS), so lock your card in its app when you can and report a lost card at once. How to protect your card
How to ask for a hearing in Rhode Island
If you think a decision on your benefits is wrong, you can ask for a fair hearing: a meeting with someone outside the office that decided. Asking is free. Here is how Rhode Island says to ask, program by program.
Federal rules set the outer limits: a SNAP household can ask about anything the office did in the past 90 days (7 CFR 273.15), and for Medicaid a state must allow a reasonable time of up to 90 days from the day the notice was mailed (42 CFR 431.221), so a state can set a shorter Medicaid limit. Whether your benefits keep coming while you wait depends on how soon you ask: your notice says by when. Only the agency and the hearing officer decide your case.
SNAP
- How to ask
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office fns.usda.gov
Medicaid
- How to ask
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office healthcare.gov
TANF cash help
- How to ask
- Not checked yet The national page that leads to each state's office acf.hhs.gov
When benefits are paid in Rhode Island
Each state sets the days its SNAP benefits arrive. This is Rhode Island's rule as its own page states it; the exact day for your case is on your approval notice. SSI, Social Security and tax refund dates, and every state's SNAP rule, are on the payment dates page.
SNAP
Not checked yet Rhode Island's own page with its SNAP payment days could not be read, or it prints no rule. The day is on your approval notice; the state's EBT line can tell you too.
Free help from a person in Rhode Island
These are free. None of them can approve benefits, but they can help you apply, answer a letter or get ready for a hearing.
Any question
211
A free line run by more than 200 local groups across the country, such as United Ways.
- Call
- 211 Free help finding local services, such as food, housing, bills and health careSource: 211.org, checked November 1, 2026
- Online
- 211 Rhode Island 211ri.orgSource: 211.org, checked November 1, 2026
Medicare questions
Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP)
Free, one-to-one help with Medicare from Rhode Island's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
- Call
- 1-888-884-8721TTY 401-462-0740Source: shiphelp.org, checked November 1, 2026
- Online
- Its website oha.ri.gov
A denial, a cut, an eviction
Free legal aid
Legal aid groups in Rhode Island paid by the Legal Services Corporation, which Congress set up to fund civil legal help for people with low incomes.
- Groups
- Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc.Source: lsc.gov, checked November 1, 2026
- Find yours
- LSC's finder (type a city or address there) lsc.gov
Immigration questions
Free or low-cost immigration legal help
Nonprofit groups the Justice Department has recognized to give immigration legal help, with their accredited representatives. A notary public ("notario") is not a lawyer in the United States and cannot represent you (USCIS).
- The list
- Recognized organizations by state justice.govRhode Island is under the heading RHODE ISLAND, on pages 131–132; the list says it was updated October 25, 2026.Source: justice.gov, checked November 1, 2026
Taxes and tax credits
Free tax help (VITA and TCE)
IRS-trained volunteers prepare tax returns free for people who qualify, which matters for the EITC and the Child Tax Credit.
- Call
- 800-906-9887 IRS: find the nearest VITA or TCE siteSource: irs.gov, checked November 1, 2026
- Online
- The IRS page with the site finder irs.gov