SNAP benefit changes for 2026 took effect October 1, 2025, and run through September 30, 2026. The maximum monthly allotment for one person in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. is now $298, income thresholds have risen with the cost of living, and the work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents now reaches through age 54 following the last phase of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young adults ages 18 through 24 who aged out of foster care are permanently exempt from that time limit.
New Maximum Allotments for FY2026
Maximum allotments adjust each October based on the cost of the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan, tied by statute to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers over the 12 months ending in June.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2012 – Definitions For FY2026 in the 48 contiguous states and D.C.:2Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 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 beyond eight adds roughly $218. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands have separate, higher allotments. These are ceilings. A household with zero net income receives the full allotment; every other household gets less, because your actual benefit is calculated from net income after deductions.
New Income and Asset Limits
Eligibility uses two income tests. Gross monthly income (before deductions) cannot exceed 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, and net monthly income (after deductions) cannot exceed 100 percent.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2014 – Eligible Households Households where every member is elderly (60 or older) or has a disability only need to meet the net test.
FY2026 limits for the 48 contiguous states and D.C.:4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Income Eligibility Standards
- 1 person: $1,696 gross / $1,305 net
- 2 people: $2,292 gross / $1,763 net
- 3 people: $2,888 gross / $2,221 net
- 4 people: $3,483 gross / $2,680 net
- 5 people: $4,079 gross / $3,138 net
Each additional person adds $596 gross and $459 net. Alaska and Hawaii have higher thresholds.
The federal countable resource limit is $3,000 for most households and $4,500 for households with a member who is 60 or older or has a disability.5Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 COLA Memo Countable resources include cash, checking and savings accounts, and certain investments. Tax-preferred retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs do not count.6Food and Nutrition Service. Excluded Retirement Accounts
In practice, the asset test often does not apply. Forty-six states use broad-based categorical eligibility, which can raise or eliminate the asset limit for households that qualify for certain non-cash TANF-funded benefits, and it can raise the gross income limit as high as 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.7Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility Check your state’s rules, because the numbers that decide your case may be higher than the federal figures above.
Work Requirement Expansion Through Age 54
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 changed who is subject to the three-month time limit for able-bodied adults without dependents. Before the law, the rule applied to adults 18 through 49. The FRA raised the upper age to 50 in September 2023, to 52 in October 2023, and to 54 in October 2024. The full expansion is now in effect and covers adults 18 through 54 until it sunsets on October 1, 2030.8Federal Register. SNAP Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
To keep benefits past three months in a three-year period, an ABAWD must work at least 80 hours per month or participate in a qualifying employment and training program. If you fall short, benefits stop for the rest of that three-year window unless you become exempt or meet the hours in a later month and regain eligibility.
Permanent Exemptions
The same law created permanent exemptions from the ABAWD time limit for three groups: veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, and young adults ages 18 through 24 who were in foster care on their 18th birthday or later.9Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 The exemption does not apply automatically. Your state agency verifies the status during application and recertification, so tell your caseworker if you belong to one of these groups and expect to be asked for documentation.
Deductions That Shape Your Actual Benefit
Because benefits are calculated from net income, the deductions that lower net income are what turn the maximum allotment into your actual monthly amount. All of these figures updated for FY2026.
The standard deduction, applied to every household, is $209 per month for households of one to three people, $223 for four, $261 for five, and $299 for six or more.2Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
The excess shelter deduction covers rent or mortgage, property taxes, and utility costs that together exceed half of income after other deductions. For most households the deduction is capped at $744 per month in FY2026. Households that include someone 60 or older or with a disability face no cap, which can meaningfully raise benefits when housing costs are high.
States use Standard Utility Allowances rather than actual utility bills, and the amounts vary by state and adjust annually.10Food and Nutrition Service. Standard Utility Allowances Your caseworker applies the allowance for your area.
Households where every member is experiencing homelessness can claim a homeless shelter deduction of $199 per month for incidental costs like laundry and storage, with no expense verification required. You cannot combine it with the excess shelter deduction, but a homeless person paying toward housing can choose the shelter deduction instead if it produces a higher benefit.
Online Purchasing Is Now Nationwide
SNAP online grocery purchasing, which began as a small pilot, is now available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.11Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online Amazon, Walmart, and various regional chains accept EBT for online orders. The same food-eligibility rules apply online as in stores. Delivery fees and service charges cannot be paid with SNAP and must be covered separately.
Keeping Your Benefits: Reporting, Recertification, and Appeals
Most households are on simplified reporting. Mid-certification, you only have to report a change if your gross monthly income rises above 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Changes in household composition or a move must be reported within 10 days. If you fail to report a change that would have reduced your benefit, the state will recover the overpayment from future months, so reporting even small changes is worth it.
Certification periods usually run six to twelve months, and up to 24 months for elderly and disabled households. Recertification includes an interview (typically by phone) and updated documentation of income, household size, and expenses. Miss the recertification deadline and benefits stop immediately with no grace period. Your state sends a notice ahead of time; set your own reminder anyway.
If your application is denied, your benefits are reduced, or your case is closed, you have 90 days from the date of the action to request a fair hearing. The request can be oral or written, and the state agency cannot limit or interfere with your ability to make it.12eCFR. 7 CFR 273.15 – Fair Hearings If you request a hearing before a reduction or termination actually takes effect, you can often keep your current benefit level until the hearing decision is issued. Contact your state agency as soon as an adverse notice arrives rather than waiting for the change to hit.