The short answer
Once you receive benefits, you must tell each program about certain changes, such as a new job, a raise, a move, someone joining or leaving the household, or money coming in. Reporting on time keeps payments correct and avoids overpayments you would later have to repay. The deadlines differ by program. SSI recipients should report most changes by the 10th day of the month after they happen, and wages by the 6th. SNAP rules depend on the state: under simplified reporting, many households report between renewals only if gross monthly income rises above 130 percent of the poverty line, while under change reporting most changes must be reported within 10 days. Medicaid, Marketplace coverage, unemployment and housing assistance each set their own rules. Reporting to one agency does not report to any other, so tell every program that pays you, and keep proof of when and how you reported.
The changes to watch for
Go down this list whenever something in your life shifts. If any item applies, at least one program probably wants to know:
- Work: a new job, a change in pay or hours, or a job that ends.
- Other income: unemployment, child support, Social Security or a pension starting, stopping or changing.
- Household: someone moving in or out, a birth, a marriage, a divorce or a death.
- Address: any move, including one within the same town.
- Money and property: savings or other resources going above a program's limit, such as an inheritance or a settlement.
- Costs: rent, utilities, child care or, for an older or disabled SNAP member, medical costs going up or down.
- Where you are: for SSI and Social Security, leaving the United States for 30 days or more, or entering a hospital, nursing home or jail.
What counts differs by program, so a change one office needs may not matter to another. Your approval or renewal notice lists what your program wants to hear about; keep it where you can find it.
The deadlines, program by program
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Program | When to report | How |
|---|---|---|
| SSI | Most changes by the 10th of the following month; wages by the 6th | Phone, local office, or Social Security's app or online wage reporting |
| Social Security retirement, disability and survivor benefits | Promptly, for work, moves, marriage or divorce and travel abroad | Phone, local office or my Social Security |
| SNAP, simplified reporting | Only if gross income rises above the reporting threshold, usually by the 10th of the following month | As your state's notice says |
| SNAP, change reporting | Listed changes within 10 days | As your state's notice says |
| Medicaid | By your state's deadline, and every request by its due date | Your state's online account, phone or mail |
| Marketplace coverage | Within 30 days | Your HealthCare.gov or state Marketplace account |
| Unemployment insurance | Any earnings, in each weekly certification | Your weekly claim |
| Housing assistance and TANF | As your lease or notices require, often within days | Your housing agency or caseworker |
When a program gives you a deadline in writing, that is the rule for your case, even if it differs from this table.
SSI and Social Security in practice
A September change to an SSI case is due by October 10. Wages are reported separately and monthly, by the 6th, and Social Security's mobile app, online wage reporting and phone wage reporting make that quicker than a call or visit. Late or missing reports can lead to an overpayment and to a penalty deducted from benefits. Tell Social Security, too, if someone else starts paying your rent, mortgage or utilities, or stops, because that help with shelter costs can change an SSI payment.
People receiving Social Security retirement, disability or survivor benefits must report work while under full retirement age or on disability, a move, marriage or divorce for some benefits, and leaving the country. Our guides to SSI and working while on SSDI explain how those changes affect payments.
SNAP in practice
Each state chooses how its SNAP households report. Under simplified reporting, used for most households, the one change you must report between check-ins is gross monthly income rising above 130 percent of the poverty line for your household size. In fiscal year 2027, which began October 1, 2026, that threshold is $3,575 a month for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. A family of four earning $3,200 whose income rises to $3,600 must report it; a rise to $3,500 can wait for the next check-in. Adults subject to SNAP's time limit must also report when their work hours fall below 20 a week, averaged monthly.
Households under change reporting must report listed changes within 10 days of learning about them. Your certification notice says which rule applies. Reporting a drop in income is always allowed and can raise your benefit; see our SNAP guide.
Changes that can raise your benefit
Reporting is not only about avoiding overpayments. Most programs adjust only from the month you report, so these are worth reporting quickly:
- A drop in income, such as lost hours or a job that ends.
- A new baby or another person joining the household who has little income.
- Higher rent or utility costs, which can raise SNAP's shelter deduction.
- New child care costs, or for an older or disabled SNAP member, new medical costs.
- A move into a home where you pay your own utilities.
- A household member turning 60 or starting disability benefits, which changes several SNAP rules in the household's favor.
If an overpayment notice arrives
If an agency decides you were paid too much, it sends a notice explaining the amount and why. Read it carefully, and act within the time it states, because that can stop or limit collection while your request is decided. You can usually:
- ask for reconsideration or a hearing if you think the amount or the decision is wrong; see our guide to appealing a benefit decision;
- ask for a waiver if the overpayment was not your fault and repaying would cause hardship or be unfair; for Social Security programs this is done with Form SSA-632; or
- agree to a repayment plan, often a small deduction from future benefits, if you owe it and cannot pay at once.
Keeping proof that you reported
Use the method each agency offers, whether an online account, a phone line, a form or a visit. Note the date, the name of the person you spoke to and what you said, and keep any confirmation number, receipt or copy. If you report by mail, keep a copy and, if you can, send it with tracking. For online reports, save the confirmation page or a screenshot. If you call and are told a change does not need to be reported, note that too, with the date and the name. That record is what protects you if a later notice says you never reported.
Do not assume agencies share information. Telling Social Security about a move does not update your SNAP case, and reporting a raise to the SNAP office does not update Medicaid. Report to each program that pays you. If you are moving out of state, see our guide to moving to another state with benefits.
Questions about money that comes in once
Do I have to report a tax refund?
A federal tax refund, including the EITC and the Child Tax Credit, does not count as income for federal benefit programs and is not counted as a resource for 12 months after you receive it. Money left after that can count toward a resource limit.
Does a one-time payment, such as a gift or a settlement, count?
It depends on the program. For SSI, a cash gift generally counts as income in the month you receive it, so report it. SNAP generally treats a one-time lump sum as a resource rather than income. Check each program's rules before spending or saving it.
My pay changes every month. Do I report every change?
For SSI, yes: wages are reported every month. Under SNAP simplified reporting, only when income rises above the threshold. For unemployment, every week you claim. Each program sets its own rhythm.
Your notices come first
Deadlines and the list of reportable changes are set by each program and, for SNAP and Medicaid, by each state; your own notices control over this general summary. This site does not receive reports, and nothing entered in our calculators is sent to any agency.
Official sources
Ten minutes this week
Find the latest notice from each program that pays you, write its reporting deadline on the first page, and report any recent change today. If your income has dropped, estimate your SNAP benefit to see whether reporting could raise it.
