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From the article:

“Qualifying for SNAP benefits is based on how close a household’s income level is to the national poverty line. If expenses aren’t considered (i.e., gross monthly income), households must make less than 30% above the federal poverty level. If expenses are considered, households must make less than the federal poverty level.”

From Google AI:

The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is a measure of income used to determine eligibility for federal programs, with the 2025 FPL for a one-person household being $15,650. The FPL is an annual income threshold that varies by household size and location, with the guidelines updated each year to account for inflation. For example, the FPL for a family of four in the contiguous states is $32,150.
How it’s determined: The FPL is based on poverty thresholds that were originally calculated in the 1960s and are updated annually for inflation.
Purpose: It is used to determine eligibility for various government assistance programs, such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and health insurance Marketplace subsidies.

2025 Guidelines (contiguous states and D.C.):
1 Person: $15,650
2 People: $21,150
3 People: $26,650
4 People: $32,150
5 People: $37,650
6 People: $43,150
7 People: $48,650
8 People: $54,150

For households with more than eight people:
The guidelines increase by $5,500 for each additional person in the contiguous states.

Higher poverty levels:
Many programs use a percentage of the FPL (such as 138% or 200%) to determine eligibility.

Variations for Alaska and Hawaii:
Poverty guidelines are higher in Alaska and Hawaii to account for the higher cost of living.

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Seems to me, a federal poverty level doesn’t make a lot of sense. This is reflected for Hawaii and Alaska, but there’s great variation between states in the lower 48 that are not accounted for.

The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is a measure of income u

See Welfare and growing dependency upon government. What determines income in Federal Poverty Guidelines (2022)?

Note " how close."

Seems to me, a federal poverty level doesn’t make a lot of sense. This is reflected for Hawaii and Alaska, but there’s great variation between states in the lower 48 that are not accounted for.

Indeed.