Key Takeaways
- Since April 20, 2026, Florida SNAP can't buy soda, energy drinks, candy or prepared desserts.
- The family-of-four maximum rises from $994 to $1,023 a month on October 1, 2026.
- Florida deposits benefits from the 1st to the 28th, based on your case number's 9th and 8th digits.
- Florida's 12.97% error rate puts it in line to pay 15% of benefit costs from October 2027.
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 other date that matters: on October 1, 2026, the maximum benefit for a family of four goes from $994 to $1,023 a month. Everything below is Florida-specific. For the national rules, see my SNAP benefit amounts guide.
What Florida SNAP No Longer Covers
Florida’s “Healthy SNAP” waiver, approved by USDA in August 2025, removes four categories from what your EBT card can buy:
| Restricted item | What counts |
|---|---|
| Soda | Drinks with added sugar or artificial sweeteners (plain sparkling water, drinks over 50% juice, and drinks under 5 grams of added sugar are still fine) |
| Energy drinks | Drinks with at least 65 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces (coffee and tea are still fine) |
| Candy | Candy bars and pieces, including chocolate, caramels, gummies and hard candy |
| Prepared desserts | Shelf-stable, ready-to-eat packaged sweets like snack cakes and pastries |
The waiver runs as a two-year pilot, through April 19, 2028. You can still buy these items with cash or a debit card in the same transaction; the register just won’t let SNAP pay for them.
This matters because Florida wasn’t part of the June 2026 court ruling that blocked restrictions in five other states. My state-by-state tracker of SNAP soda and candy bans has the full legal status, but for Florida the short answer is: the ban is in effect.
When Your Florida EBT Card Gets Loaded
Florida spreads deposits across the first 28 days of the month. Your date comes from the 9th and 8th digits of your case number, read in that order (not the last digit, which is a common mix-up). Once it’s set, it’s the same date every month.
| 9th + 8th digits | Deposit day | 9th + 8th digits | Deposit day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00–03 | 1st | 49–53 | 15th |
| 04–06 | 2nd | 54–57 | 16th |
| 07–10 | 3rd | 58–60 | 17th |
| 11–13 | 4th | 61–64 | 18th |
| 14–17 | 5th | 65–67 | 19th |
| 18–20 | 6th | 68–71 | 20th |
| 21–24 | 7th | 72–74 | 21st |
| 25–27 | 8th | 75–78 | 22nd |
| 28–31 | 9th | 79–81 | 23rd |
| 32–34 | 10th | 82–85 | 24th |
| 35–38 | 11th | 86–88 | 25th |
| 39–41 | 12th | 89–92 | 26th |
| 42–45 | 13th | 93–95 | 27th |
| 46–48 | 14th | 96–99 | 28th |
If you’d rather not decode digits, your deposit date is also shown in your ACCESS Florida account. If a deposit disappears after you swipe at an unfamiliar ATM or store, read my piece on EBT card skimming and why there’s no federal reimbursement before you call DCF.
How Much You Can Get, Before and After October 1
Florida uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility at 200% of the poverty line, one of the most generous income tests in the country. Here’s what that means with the new fiscal year 2027 numbers that start October 1:
| Household size | Max benefit through Sep 30, 2026 | Max benefit from Oct 1, 2026 | Gross income limit from Oct 1 (200% FPL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $298 | $306 | $2,660/mo |
| 2 | $546 | $562 | $3,607/mo |
| 3 | $785 | $808 | $4,554/mo |
| 4 | $994 | $1,023 | $5,500/mo |
| 5 | $1,183 | $1,217 | $6,447/mo |
| 6 | $1,421 | $1,463 | $7,394/mo |
| 7 | $1,571 | $1,616 | $8,340/mo |
| 8 | $1,789 | $1,841 | $9,287/mo |
Through September 30, the gross limit for a family of four is about $5,359 a month. Income limits are rounded, so DCF’s own figure can differ by a dollar or two.
Most families get less than the maximum. Take a family of four with $3,200 a month in wages and no rent or child care deductions counted. From October 1, their net income works out to $2,331, and they’d get about $323 a month. Rent, utilities and child care costs push that number up, which is why it’s worth listing every one of them on the application.
Things can move quickly with SNAP right now. I update this page when Florida’s rules change, so subscribe here if you want a heads-up.
Applying in Florida
Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) runs SNAP. The fastest route is online through ACCESS Florida; you can also call 850-300-4323 or visit a DCF service center. DCF has 30 days to decide, or 7 days if you qualify for expedited benefits.
If you lost a job, apply for Florida unemployment benefits at the same time. Unemployment pay counts as income for SNAP, but the two programs don’t cancel each other out.
Where Florida Differs from Other States
A few things are true in Florida that aren’t true everywhere:
- No Summer EBT. Florida is one of 12 states that sat out SUN Bucks in 2026, so families don’t get the $120-per-child summer benefit. My Summer EBT guide lists the free summer meal sites that remain.
- Fresh Access Bucks. At participating farmers markets, Florida’s Fresh Access Bucks program gives SNAP shoppers extra money to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables.
- A high error rate. USDA measured Florida’s SNAP payment error rate at 12.97% for fiscal year 2025, down from 15.13% the year before, but still above the national 10.62%.
That last point sounds like bureaucratic trivia, but it has real consequences. More on that below.
What Changes for Florida SNAP After October 1
October 1, 2026: the new fiscal year 2027 amounts in the table above take effect. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) also shifts more of SNAP’s administrative cost onto states that day, from 50% to 75%.
October 1, 2027: under the OBBB, states with an error rate of 10% or more pay 15% of SNAP benefit costs. Florida can use its fiscal 2025 or 2026 rate for that first year. At 12.97%, Florida lands in the top tier unless its 2026 rate drops sharply. Based on its 2025 rate, it also just misses the 13.34% threshold that lets the highest-error states delay the cost share.
Your benefit amount doesn’t change because of this. What I’d expect instead is more paperwork checks at recertification, so keep pay stubs and rent receipts handy.
April 19, 2028: the soda and candy pilot ends unless Florida gets an extension. The work requirements that now reach adults up to age 64 are covered in my national SNAP guide linked above, since they apply the same way in every state.
