New Means Test Figures Take Effect April 1: What Florida Households Should Know Before Filing

On March 18, 2026, the U.S. Trustee Program announced that it had updated the Census Bureau median family income data used in bankruptcy cases and that it will apply the new figures to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026 ¹. For a Florida household thinking about bankruptcy this spring, the change can affect which chapter is available and how the paperwork is completed.

What the means test does

Under the Bankruptcy Code, individual consumer debtors must pass a “means test” before they can receive Chapter 7 relief ³. When the test shows disposable income above certain limits, the case can be challenged: the U.S. Trustee, a creditor or another interested party may ask the court to dismiss it ³. A debtor who fails the test, or who would rather take a different route, may instead file under Chapter 13 and pay creditors over time through a court-approved plan ³.

Most individual debtors complete a version of Official Form 122. The 122A forms are used in Chapter 7 cases, and the 122C forms are used in Chapter 13 cases ³. Some of the information on those forms, such as current monthly income, comes from the debtor’s own records. Other information, including the state median income, comes from the Census Bureau and the IRS ³.

The new Florida figures

For cases filed between April 1, 2026 and July 14, 2026, the median family income figures for Florida are ²:

• One earner: $69,876
• Two people: $86,523
• Three people: $97,540
• Four people: $114,761

For households larger than four, $11,100 is added for each additional person ². The U.S. Trustee Program publishes the table in a format designed for completing Official Forms 122A-1 and 122C-1 ².

For comparison, the four-person median in neighboring Georgia is $123,481, and in Texas it is $117,962 ². Florida’s figures sit below those states for a family of four, which means a Florida household’s income is measured against a lower benchmark than it would be in either of those states.

Why the timing of a filing matters

Because the new data applies by filing date, the same household can be measured against different figures depending on whether its petition is filed before or after April 1 ¹. A case filed in late March uses the prior table, while a case filed on April 1 or later uses the updated one ¹².

The median comparison also matters in Chapter 13. The U.S. Trustee Program explains that income sets the length of a Chapter 13 plan, usually three or five years ³. For debtors above certain income levels, the plan payment amount begins with the disposable income figure produced by the means test ³.

The means test also uses IRS expense standards and, in some cases, a Chapter 13 administrative expense multiplier for the debtor’s judicial district ³. Those figures are published by the U.S. Trustee Program on the same means testing pages and are updated periodically ³. Working through them correctly requires the debtor’s actual income history for the months before filing, which is why gathering pay records early helps.

Practical steps for South Florida households

Anyone in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County weighing bankruptcy can take a few steps now:

• Collect income records for the six full months before the expected filing date, including pay stubs, benefit statements and any side income.
• Count the household accurately, since the applicable median depends on household size ².
• Ask whether filing before or after a data update could change the analysis ¹.

None of these steps commits a household to filing. They simply make an informed decision possible.

Anyone in South Florida weighing their options can request a confidential consultation with The Roca Law Firm, in English or Spanish.