Federal poverty level 2026

The federal poverty level is a set of dollar amounts HHS publishes each January. Programs use it, or a percentage of it, to decide who qualifies. Here are the 2026 figures, recent years, and which retirement-age programs use them.

Last verified October 22, 2026 against the HHS ASPE poverty guidelines page, the ASPE historical chart, Medicare.gov and the eCFR. Percentages of the guideline in the multiples table are our arithmetic.

2026 federal poverty guidelines by household size

These are the annual figures HHS published for 2026 in the Federal Register (91 FR 1797, January 15, 2026). The same dollar amount applies to a household or an individual of any age. Alaska and Hawaii have their own higher figures. Click a column to sort.

ASPE adds a note for 2026: because of the federal government shutdown in October 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not publish the October CPI-U, so the 2026 guidelines compare the average CPI-U for the 11 available months of 2025 with all 12 months of 2024.

Percent multiples (133%, 138%, 150%, 200%)

Programs often set a limit as a percentage of the guideline. The table below multiplies the 2026 48-state guideline by each percentage and rounds to the dollar. This is our arithmetic, checked against the multiples in ASPE's 2026 detailed chart. ASPE publishes its own full chart, including Alaska and Hawaii, linked in the cite box. Your program may round differently or use monthly amounts.

Recent years

For the 48 states and D.C., from ASPE's historical chart. Each year's figures link to the Federal Register notice. Guidelines are named for the year they are issued, and the 2025 figures reflect price changes through calendar 2024.

Which programs use the poverty guidelines

ASPE says programs using the guidelines, or multiples such as 125 or 185 percent, include Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Children's Health Insurance Program. ASPE also says that, in general, the cash programs Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income do not use the guidelines, and neither does the Earned Income Tax Credit. ASPE's FAQ has the full list.

Federal law gives the Medicaid expansion adult group an income limit tied to the poverty level: 42 CFR 435.119 covers adults 19 to 64 at or below 133 percent of the poverty level, and excludes people entitled to or enrolled in Medicare Part A or B. For most people reading this page in retirement, that group is not the route.

Medicare help that works with income limits

Medicare.gov lists these 2026 limits. Dollar amounts are as published there; some states count income and resources differently, and limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii.

Resource limit for all three programs on Medicare.gov: $9,950 single, $14,910 married. For Extra Help with Part D drug costs, Medicare.gov lists 2026 limits of $23,940 income and $18,090 resources for an individual, and $32,460 income and $36,100 resources for a married couple. You get Extra Help automatically if you have full Medicaid, state help with Part B premiums through a Medicare Savings Program, or SSI.

Our arithmetic, for context only: $23,940 is 150% of $15,960 and $32,460 is 150% of $21,640. Medicare.gov does not state the percentage, so confirm current rules with the agency before you rely on it. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free help applying; Medicare.gov says you can apply for Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs at the same time. For plan basics see how Medicare Advantage plans work and our Medicare cost calculator.

Long-term care Medicaid is not just a poverty percentage

Medicaid for older adults in nursing homes or in waiver home-care programs is built from several federal rules. For example, 42 CFR 435.236 lets a state cover aged, blind and disabled people in institutions whose income is below a level specified in the state plan, and 42 CFR 435.217 covers people who receive home and community-based services and would be eligible for Medicaid if institutionalized. The actual income and asset limits are set state by state, so look up your state's rules rather than applying a poverty percentage. See Medicaid spend-down, and use your Area Agency on Aging to find free local counseling.

Method

The 2026 guidelines were read from the ASPE poverty guidelines page and the ASPE historical spreadsheet on October 22, 2026; the code checks that the two sources agree, that each household-size step equals the published per-person add-on, and that the 133, 138 and 150 percent figures match ASPE's 2026 detailed chart for one person. Medicare.gov figures were read from its Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help pages on October 22, 2026. Figures change every year; verify with the agency before you decide. We did not publish the SSI federal benefit rate here because we could not read it from the Social Security Administration site today.

Cite this page

The Retirement Literacy Foundation is a nonprofit and sells nothing here. Programs and rules change; confirm details with the agency named on the linked page. It does not endorse any plan, carrier or agent. General education, not individualized advice.