Food stamps are run federally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the program under its current name, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You won’t deal with the USDA directly. Applications, interviews, EBT cards, and recertifications all go through your state’s human services or social services office, which operates under federal rules but sets its own procedures. For fiscal year 2026, a single person can receive up to $298 per month and a family of four up to $994, loaded onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer card that works like a debit card at authorized grocery stores.
Who Runs SNAP and Who You Actually Contact
The Food and Nutrition Service, part of the USDA, writes the federal rules, funds the benefits, and monitors state compliance.1eCFR. 7 CFR Part 271 – General Information and Definitions State agencies do the day-to-day work: taking applications, verifying eligibility, issuing benefits, and running recertification reviews. The office you contact goes by different names depending on where you live. Department of Human Services, Department of Social Services, and Division of Family Assistance are all common. Whatever it’s called locally, that’s the office that decides your case.
The federal government pays the full cost of the benefits themselves. Administrative costs have traditionally been split roughly in half with states, though that balance is shifting under recent legislation described later.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility comes down to household income, assets, citizenship status, and, for some adults, work participation. A “household” is everyone who lives together and regularly buys and prepares food together, whether or not they’re related.2eCFR. 7 CFR 273.1 – Household Concept Someone who lives with others but buys and cooks food separately can qualify as their own one-person household.
Income
Most households have to pass two income tests. Gross monthly income (before deductions) cannot exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty level: for 2026, that’s $1,696 for a single person and $3,483 for a family of four. Net income after allowable deductions must fall below 100 percent of the poverty level: $1,305 for one person, $2,680 for four.3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY 2026 Income Eligibility Standards Households in which every member is elderly or disabled only need to pass the net income test.
Some states use broad-based categorical eligibility to lift the gross income ceiling above 130 percent, in some cases up to 200 percent. That option still exists, but new cost-sharing rules give states a financial reason to scale it back. If your state has used expanded limits, ask the local office whether they still apply before assuming you’re over-income.
Assets
Federal rules cap the value of countable assets like checking and savings accounts, with the dollar limits adjusted periodically. Your home and typically one vehicle are excluded regardless of value. States that adopted broad-based categorical eligibility often eliminated the asset test, and those exemptions may narrow as budgets change.
Citizenship and Immigration Status
U.S. citizens who meet the income and asset tests can qualify. Most lawful permanent residents must have lived in the United States for at least five years before they can receive benefits, though refugees, children under 18, and certain other groups are exempt from that waiting period.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
Work Requirements
Adults between 18 and 54 with no dependents who are physically able to work face the strictest rules. Federal regulations call this group ABAWDs (able-bodied adults without dependents), and they must work or participate in a qualifying training program for at least 80 hours per month.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements Anyone who doesn’t meet that requirement is limited to three months of benefits in any three-year period.
Exemptions from the ABAWD time limit include people with a physical or mental health condition that limits their ability to work, pregnant individuals, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and anyone who was in foster care on their 18th birthday and is still under 25. The 2025 law expanded work rules and changed some exemptions, and the USDA is still publishing guidance, so confirm your status with the local office rather than relying on older information.
How Much You Can Receive
Monthly benefits are not a flat amount. The formula starts with the maximum allotment for your household size and subtracts 30 percent of your net monthly income, on the assumption that households will spend roughly 30 cents of every dollar of their own income on food.
Maximum monthly allotments in the 48 contiguous states for fiscal year 2026:5Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY 2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
- 1 person: $298
- 2 people: $546
- 3 people: $785
- 4 people: $994
- 5 people: $1,183
- 6 people: $1,421
- 7 people: $1,571
- 8 people: $1,789
- Each additional person: $218
Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have higher allotments that reflect higher local food costs.
Several deductions reduce the income counted against you and therefore raise your benefit. Every household gets a standard deduction ($209 per month for one to three people in 2026, more for larger households). You can also deduct 20 percent of earned income, out-of-pocket childcare that lets someone work or train, legally obligated child support, medical expenses over $35 per month for elderly or disabled members, and shelter costs above half your income after other deductions (with a cap for most households). Bring documentation for these when you apply. They can add up to a meaningfully larger monthly benefit.
How to Apply
Most states offer an online application through the human services website. You can also apply by mail, fax, or in person at a local office. Before you start, gather what the state must verify: identity, Social Security number, residency, gross income, and, where relevant, immigration status.6eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing A government-issued ID, Social Security cards for everyone in the household, a lease or utility bill, and recent pay stubs cover most cases. Bring receipts for childcare, child support, and medical bills too if you want those deductions applied.
After the application is filed, a caseworker will interview you, usually by phone. The agency has 30 days from the filing date to decide and notify you. Households with very low income and minimal resources may qualify for expedited processing, which shortens the timeline to seven days.7Food and Nutrition Service. Regulatory Basis for Interviews
After a federally declared disaster, USDA can authorize a separate program, Disaster SNAP, for households that don’t normally receive benefits but need temporary help. If you already receive SNAP, you won’t qualify for D-SNAP, though supplemental or replacement benefits may be available through a different process.
What SNAP Pays For
Benefits load onto an EBT card that you swipe at the register. You can use it at any USDA-authorized retailer; the USDA runs an online store locator you can search by zip code.8Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Locator Eligible purchases include fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, bread, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds or plants that produce food for the household.9Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
You cannot use SNAP for alcohol, tobacco, vitamins or supplements, live animals (with narrow exceptions for shellfish and pre-slaughtered animals), food that is hot at the point of sale, or non-food items like cleaning supplies, pet food, and personal care products. Items containing controlled substances, including cannabis-derived products, are also excluded.
After You’re Approved
You have to report certain changes to your local office. Income changes of more than $100 per month must be reported within 10 days of the first payment reflecting the change.10eCFR. 7 CFR 273.12 – Reporting Requirements Changes to who lives in the household or where you live also require prompt notification. Most households fall under simplified reporting, which limits required updates to a few key changes.
Approval covers a set certification period, usually a few months to a year. Before it ends you’ll need to recertify with an updated application and another interview. Miss the deadline and benefits pause; getting them restarted can take weeks. Your approval letter states the end date. Put it on a calendar.
If You’re Denied or Your Benefits Are Cut
You can request a fair hearing through your state agency. The state has to hold the hearing, reach a decision, and notify you within 60 days of your request.11eCFR. 7 CFR 273.15 – Fair Hearings If you win and the decision raises your benefit, the higher amount must appear in your EBT account within 10 days. You can request one postponement of up to 30 days, which extends the agency’s deadline by the same amount. Fair hearings cost nothing and don’t require a lawyer, though legal aid can help in complex cases. They’re worth pursuing when the agency has miscalculated income, missed a deduction, or overlooked an exemption.
What Changed Under the 2025 Law
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 made the most significant SNAP changes in years, and pieces are still being phased in. It expanded work requirements beyond the traditional ABAWD group to include parents of children over 14, veterans who had been exempt, and adults aged 55 to 64.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements Detailed USDA guidance is still coming out, which is why current information from your state office matters more than usual right now.
The law also changes funding. Starting in October 2026, the federal share of administrative costs drops, and by 2027 states will begin covering up to 15 percent of benefit costs based on their error rates. Future increases to benefit levels through the Thrifty Food Plan, the USDA’s benchmark for a minimal adequate diet, are now restricted, which limits how much maximum allotments can grow in coming years.