SNAP emergency allotments were temporary supplemental food-stamp payments issued between March 2020 and February 2023 to help households through the COVID-19 pandemic. They no longer exist. Congress ended them nationwide through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, and no equivalent supplement has replaced them.
How the Supplements Worked While They Lasted
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act gave the USDA authority to approve extra SNAP payments whenever two conditions were in place at once: a federal public health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and a separate emergency or disaster declaration from the state.1Congress.gov. Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Section 2302 When both were active, a state could ask to send supplemental funds to every household already enrolled in SNAP.
There was no separate application. If you were receiving regular SNAP during the emergency period, the extra amount was added to your existing EBT card automatically. Eligibility tracked the standard SNAP rules, so if a household lost regular benefits, it lost the supplement too.
The original formula topped each household up to the maximum monthly benefit for its size. A household of three normally receiving $450, with a maximum of $685, would get a $235 supplement. Households already at the maximum received nothing extra, which meant the lowest-income families were shut out for over a year.
That changed in April 2021, when the Biden Administration set a floor: every household in a state with active emergency allotments received at least $95 in supplemental benefits per month, even if they were already at the maximum.2USDA. USDA Increases Emergency SNAP Benefits for 25 Million Americans
When and Why Emergency Allotments Ended
The unwind happened in two stages. Thirteen states ended their supplements before February 2023, either because their state-level emergency declarations expired or because they opted not to renew them. The other 35 states and territories were still issuing the payments when Congress stepped in.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 cut the link between emergency allotments and the public health declarations that had authorized them, and it ended the program nationwide after the February 2023 issuance. Starting in March 2023, every SNAP household in the country went back to receiving only its standard benefit. There was no phase-out and no individual appeal process.
What the End of Allotments Meant for Households
The drop was steep. On average, households lost roughly $175 per month, with a per-person average decrease of about $88. For the lowest-income households, the ones who had been receiving only the $95 minimum supplement, the loss was exactly that amount.
No federal program has been created to fill the gap. If you have been searching for a replacement or a reinstated pandemic supplement, none exists as of 2026. Standard SNAP is what remains.
Where SNAP Stands in 2026
Standard SNAP benefits are higher today than they were before the pandemic, though not by enough to offset losing the emergency supplement. Two things drove the increase: a 2021 reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan (the market basket the USDA uses to set allotments), which permanently raised the baseline, and the annual cost-of-living adjustments layered on top.
For fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 through September 2026), the maximum monthly allotments in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. are:3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP 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
Higher amounts apply in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. One- and two-person households that qualify for SNAP are guaranteed a minimum monthly benefit of $24, even when the standard calculation would produce less.3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Maximum Allotments and Deductions
Other Pandemic-Era SNAP Changes That Ended
Emergency allotments were not the only temporary measure to wind down. A few others matter if you were relying on them.
Wider Work Requirements for Adults Without Dependents
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 expanded the age range for SNAP work requirements. Before the change, able-bodied adults without dependents, aged 18 through 49, had to meet work or training requirements to keep SNAP for more than three months in any three-year period. The upper age moved in stages: to 50 in September 2023, 52 in October 2023, and 54 in October 2024.4Federal Register. Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act The expansion sunsets on October 1, 2030, when the ceiling returns to 49.
Adults now caught by the rule need to work, volunteer, or take part in a qualifying training program for at least 80 hours per month to keep benefits past the three-month window. States can seek waivers for high-unemployment areas, and exemptions exist for people with physical or mental health conditions.
Replacement of Stolen EBT Benefits
EBT skimming and cloning surged during and after the pandemic. Congress temporarily let states replace stolen SNAP benefits, but that authority expired on December 20, 2024.5Food and Nutrition Service. Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits As of 2026, there is no federal requirement for states to reimburse benefits lost to electronic theft. Guarding your PIN and checking your balance often are the practical protections available.
Summer EBT for Children
One program has grown rather than shrunk since the pandemic. Summer EBT, branded as SUN Bucks, provides grocery benefits to school-aged children during the months when free and reduced-price school meals are unavailable. For summer 2026, each eligible child in the 48 contiguous states receives $120 total, at $40 per month for three months.6Federal Register. Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program 2026 Benefit Levels Higher amounts apply in Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories.
Children are enrolled automatically if their families receive SNAP, TANF, or certain other income-based benefits, or if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.7Food and Nutrition Service. SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) Families whose children are not enrolled automatically can apply through their state or tribal agency. Not every state and territory has finalized participation for 2026, so check with your local SNAP office about availability where you live.