SNAP and Food Assistance

A family of four on SNAP in Alaska can get up to $1,306 a month in fiscal year 2027 (urban Alaska, more in rural areas), which started October 1, 2026 — deposited onto the Alaska Quest Card 1st (all recipients). But 2026 is a more complicated year than most for…

Florida (FL) is one of only a handful of states where SNAP won't pay for soda, energy drinks, candy or packaged desserts. That rule has been live since April 20, 2026, and it's the first thing I'd want a Florida family to know before the checkout line tells them. The…

The federal minimum benefit for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is $25 a month for a one- or two-person household in fiscal year 2027, which runs from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. That's up $1 from the $24 minimum in FY2026, per USDA's FY2027 cost-of-living adjustment figures.…

Under the broader umbrella of USDA nutrition assistance programs sits a smaller, less-known one: the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which helps roughly 600,000 low-income seniors a year supplement their diets with free groceries. Unlike SNAP, which provides a monthly benefit card to spend at grocery stores, CSFP works differently:…

North Carolina (NC) calls SNAP Food and Nutrition Services, or FNS, and it loads benefits on a fixed day from the 3rd to the 21st. Your day comes from the last digit of your Social Security number, and it doesn't move for weekends or holidays. Since October 1, 2026, a…

Michigan (MI) loads Food Assistance onto the Bridge Card between the 3rd and the 21st, and your day comes from the last digit of the head of household's recipient ID. That's the eight-digit number on your MDHHS letters, not the number on the card. The top benefit for a family…

Ohio (OH) was supposed to stop SNAP from paying for sugary drinks on October 1, 2026. It didn't happen. In September the state put the ban on hold at USDA's request, and as of mid-October you can still buy soda with your Ohio Direction Card. What did change on October…

Alabama's SNAP benefits load onto your Alabama EBT Card 4th–23rd. The maximum for a family of four is $1,023 a month in fiscal year 2027, which started October 1, 2026, up from $994. But 2026 is a more complicated year than most for SNAP. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)…

New York (NY) runs SNAP on two calendars. In the five boroughs, the city's Human Resources Administration (HRA) loads benefits on dates that shift every month. Everywhere else, the date is fixed by the last digit of your case number. That split also shows up in the work rules, which…

California (CA) is still one of the only states where people on SSI can also get food benefits. Since June 2019, Supplemental Security Income recipients have qualified for CalFresh, California's name for SNAP, and that's still true for 2026–27. October 1 brought a raise, too. A family of four can…

Connecticut's SNAP benefits load onto your Connect Card (EBT) 1st–3rd. The maximum for a family of four is $1,023 a month in fiscal year 2027, which started October 1, 2026, up from $994. But 2026 is a more complicated year than most for SNAP. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)…

Pennsylvania (PA) is one of the few states where your SNAP payment day moves around. Benefits go out over the first 10 business days of the month, so weekends and state holidays push your date later, and the schedule also depends on which county you live in. The dollar amounts…

Summer EBT — also called SUN Bucks — is now a permanent federal program that puts grocery money on a card for kids during summer break, when school meals aren't available. It's in its third year in 2026, and the benefit amount and list of participating states have both changed…