A Guide to Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE)

For working families, even a small increase in income can cause them to lose SNAP. Imagine a single mom working full-time, earning $2,800 per month. After rent, gas, and utilities, she qualifies for $160 a month in SNAP benefits to help feed her two kids. But when she gets a 50-cent raise— just $80 more a month— her income crosses the SNAP threshold, causing her to lose the full $160 SNAP benefit. Instead of being better off, she now has $80 less each month to feed her children.

But Tennessee is actively working to address this. Tennessee adopted broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE), which allows more working families to qualify for SNAP, streamlines eligibility & enrollment, and could help lower the upcoming SNAP benefit cost for the state. Basically, BBCE encourages work while families continue to make ends meet.

Income Eligibility Changes

Tennessee's implementation of BBCE raises the gross income limit to 200% of the Federal Poverty Limit (FPL); however, it maintains net income limit at 100% FPL.  The monthly gross income for an individual to receive SNAP through BBCE is $2,608, a household of 2 is $3,525, a household of 3 is $4,442, and a household of 4 is $5,358. 

BBCE also removes the asset test from consideration, allowing families to maintain savings without fear of losing SNAP benefits. Following the implementation of BBCE, families who have been previously denied for having more than the allowed amounts of liquid resources should reapply.

Pictured Above: Income Eligibility Change outlined in TJC’s BBCE Flyer

These changes help simplify the process for SNAP beneficiaries because it requires fewer verifications needed to determine eligibility and allows families to get a raise at work without fear of losing all their SNAP benefits.

Reduced Administrative Costs

Along with streamlining the process for recipients, BBCE also eases the process for the TN Department of Human Services (T-DHS), the agency responsible for the distribution of SNAP benefits. T-DHS measures a phenomenon called churn, which occurs when someone leaves and enrolls in SNAP within four months. BBCE decreases churn because it allows households to experience a change in income without losing benefits. The simplification of the application process supports administrative productivity, allowing the whole process to be quicker and less complex for both parties. 

In the wake of HR 1's changes to SNAP funding, the implementation of BBCE is of particular importance to the SNAP benefit cost shift. Because the policy simplifies the application process, it reduces the risk of unintentional errors being made, which reduces the state’s Payment Error Rate (PER). BBCE will help Tennessee lower its error rate, which in turn decreases the state's new payment for SNAP benefits.

Addressing the Benefits Cliff

The benefits cliff is the phenomena that occurs when a household increases their income enough to be over the SNAP threshold, causing them to lose SNAP. However, the loss of the benefits is greater than the increase in income. Workers report, in order to avoid the benefit cliff, they take less hours at work, don’t take a raise or promotion at work, don’t take job offers, ask to be paid less, or keep their savings below the limit set by a program.

Pictured Above: Benefits Cliff Example

BBCE helps address this by eliminating the asset test, thus allowing working families to save and still receive benefits. It also allows families to accept a raise and keep some SNAP benefits at the same time, without immediate loss of food support. These changes promote SNAP participants to get and keep jobs.

Going Forward

BBCE is a small piece of SNAP policy that positively impacts both the beneficiary and the agency.  Raising awareness about the policy can have important, life-changing effects on people who otherwise would not be able to access SNAP. Sharing the changes to SNAP eligibility will allow Tennesseans to see if they newly qualify. Moreover, families with children in schools who qualify for SNAP will automatically qualify for free school meals, increasing their access to nutrition support.  

Want to learn more about Broad Based Categorical Eligibility? Check out TJC's BBCE flyer.

This blog post was drafted by Summer 2026 Anti-Hunger Legislative Intern Jack Dempsey.