Reviewed October 13, 2026
SNAP benefit amounts changed on October 1, 2026. The way governments pay to run the program also changed. These are separate changes. Other rules changed under a law passed in 2025 and did not all start in October 2026.
Benefit amounts: October 1, 2026
The new amounts apply through September 30, 2027. For a four-person household in the 48 states other than Alaska and Hawaii, and in Washington, DC, the monthly maximum rose from $994 to $1,023. Maximums differ in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Some went down: Hawaii's four-person maximum fell from $1,689 to $1,655.
Your benefit is not necessarily the maximum. Income, allowed expenses, and household rules affect your amount. Income limits and some allowed expenses also changed. See the maximum for your household.
Program costs: October 1, 2026
States generally now pay 75% of the cost of running SNAP, and the federal government pays 25%. This pays for offices and running the program. It does not itself cut your benefits by 25%. Keep following your state office's notices about your own case.
Earlier rule changes that may affect you
These changes come from the 2025 law. When they affect your case depends on the rule, your circumstances, and your state's review. Do not assume October 1, 2026 was everyone's start date.
Work rules
Ask your state office to check the rules for your household. Do not assume you must stop receiving SNAP.
Some adults ages 18–64 can receive SNAP for only 3 months in 3 years unless they work or take part in approved activities, usually 80 hours a month. The law added ages 55–64 and limited the child-care exception to people responsible for a child under 14. Veteran status, homelessness, or leaving foster care no longer provides an exception by itself.
You may still qualify for an exception because of pregnancy, a health condition that keeps you from working, or responsibility for a child under 14. Certain American Indians and Alaska Natives may also qualify for an exception. Your state office can explain other exceptions, local rules, and which activities count.
Immigration rules
Ask your state office to check the rules for each person in your household. If one person cannot get SNAP, others may still qualify.
The law narrowed which people without U.S. citizenship can qualify. A green card may allow you to qualify, but waiting periods can apply. Some people from Cuba or Haiti and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, or Palau may qualify under special rules. Refugee or asylum status alone no longer qualifies a person.
Internet and energy bills
Internet bills no longer count as a housing expense in the SNAP benefit calculation. Receiving energy assistance also no longer means every household can automatically count a fixed amount for heating and cooling costs. Your actual bills and whether someone is 60 or older or has a disability that meets SNAP's rules can matter. Ask the state to explain the expenses used in your calculation.
What should I do?
Read your state notices, meet their deadlines, and ask about anything you do not understand. Contact your state SNAP office. If you need food while a case is being reviewed, find food help.
Sources
Current benefit amounts (opens in a new tab) · Previous benefit amounts (opens in a new tab) · Program cost rules (opens in a new tab) · 2025 law overview (opens in a new tab) · Immigration rules (opens in a new tab) · Internet and energy rules (opens in a new tab)