Gross Income Standards

• Monthly gross income is money earned before taxes and deductions are taken out. Gross income standards are reviewed each October by the federal government, says the Tennessee Department of Human Services, and adjusted if necessary. As of January 2011, a family of one can earn as much as $1,174 a month and still qualify for food stamps. A family of four can earn $2,389; a family of six can earn $3,200. The amounts increase as do the number of household members.
  
  

Net Income Standards

• Net income is earnings after deductions have been taken out. As of January 2011, a household with one individual can earn as much as $903 a month and still qualify for food stamps, according to the Tennessee Department of Human Services. A family of four can earn a maximum of $1,838; a family of six can earn $2,461. Again, the amounts increase in relation to the number of people in the household.
  
  

Resources on Hand

• A person's assets are counted as well, according to the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Cash, bank accounts, stocks, bonds and property owned, but not for sale, are listed as resource items. In order to qualify for food stamps, a household can not have more than $2,000 in assets or $3,000 if the household has a disabled person or a person over 60 years old.
  
  

Benefit Amounts

• The amount of benefits a family qualifies for is determined by the federal government, and the award amounts stand in effect for all the continental United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As of 2011, a family of one can qualify for $200 a month, which is the maximum possible allotment for a family that size. A family of four can receive $668; a family of six can receive $952.