The maximum monthly SNAP benefit rose to $306 for one person and $1,023 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. The annual cost-of-living adjustment took effect Oct. 1, 2026, and it stays in place through Sept. 30, 2027.
The new maximums are $8 and $29 higher than last year’s. They are the most a household can receive, and most households get less, because the amount depends on income.
The new maximums for the 48 states
The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) cost-of-living adjustment page lists the fiscal year 2027 maximum allotments for the 48 states and D.C. A one-person household can receive up to $306 a month, and a four-person household up to $1,023.
Those figures are up from $298 and $994, according to ABC7 News. That is an increase of $8 a month for one person and $29 a month for a family of four, or $348 over a year for the larger household. The minimum monthly benefit for households of one or two people is $25 in the 48 states and D.C., based on the USDA table.
Even with a higher maximum, many households watch every dollar, and the ideas in 10 clever frugal living tips and 15 wallet-friendly life hacks apply. The adjustment is tied to changes in the cost of living, and the USDA publishes new numbers each fall. Readers who want a sense of the broader price picture can see the USDA Economic Research Service’s food price outlook for forecasts, and a look at 12 things that are actually getting cheaper for a lighter take on prices.
Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands
Higher maximums apply outside the contiguous states, where food costs more. According to the USDA table, a one-person household and a four-person household can receive up to:
- Alaska, urban: $392 and $1,306
- Alaska, rural 1: $499 and $1,666
- Alaska, rural 2: $608 and $2,027
- Hawaii: $496 and $1,655
- Guam: $452 and $1,507
- Virgin Islands: $394 and $1,315
Minimum monthly benefits for one- and two-person households are also higher in these areas, at $40 in Hawaii and from $31 to $49 in Alaska, according to the same table.
States are also changing what can be bought. A report on new grocery shopping rules in four states covers the restrictions, and another explains soda and candy limits coming in 2027 to five states.
How the benefit amount is figured
The maximum is a ceiling. The USDA’s eligibility page explains that a household’s monthly allotment is the maximum for its size minus 30% of its net monthly income. In the agency’s example, a four-person household with $1,056.50 in net income would get $706, which is $1,023 minus $317.
For fiscal year 2027, the gross monthly income limit in the 48 states and D.C. is $1,729 for one person and $3,575 for four, and the net limits are $1,330 and $2,750. Each additional member adds $616 to the gross limit and $474 to the net limit. Households with an elderly or disabled member only need to meet the net limit.
Countable resources, such as cash and bank accounts, are capped at $3,000, or $4,750 when a member is 60 or older or disabled. The home and lot do not count, and neither do most retirement plans. Applications go through the state where a household lives. A guide to the program’s basics is on the USDA’s SNAP page.
Other changes that began Oct. 1
The cost-of-living increase is only one piece of a larger set of changes. ABC7 lists several that began Oct. 1:
- States now cover 75% of administrative costs, up from half.
- Work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents now apply through age 64, up from 54.
- Families with a child 14 or older no longer qualify for a work-requirement exemption on that basis alone.
- Beginning in 2027, states with high payment error rates will pay part of benefit costs.
Those shifts affect who receives benefits and how states run the program. ABC7 reports that an estimated 5 million Americans, including more than 1 million children, have lost benefits over the past year.
Shopping with SNAP benefits
For SNAP households, the USDA keeps a list of eligible food items, which covers most grocery staples such as bread, fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy. The agency also runs a retailer locator for finding stores that accept benefits. Participants use an electronic benefits transfer card at checkout, and the higher maximum applies to benefits issued from October onward in the contiguous states.
The USDA’s Economic Research Service tracks the program’s role in the broader food economy on its SNAP topic page, and the history of the program is summarized in the Wikipedia article on SNAP.
What it means for families
The size of the change is modest in dollar terms, but it is applied every month for a full year. For a single person, $8 a month adds up to $96 over twelve months, and for a family of four the extra $29 a month is $348. Those totals are the maximum, and actual amounts depend on each household’s income.
A family of four at the top of the scale now has about $29 more a month than last year. Households with income receive less than the maximum, but the ceiling rises for all of them, since the formula starts from the higher number.
Anyone with questions about a specific case should contact the state agency that handles applications, since eligibility, deductions and rules vary by state. The federal numbers set the ceiling, while states run the program day to day.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Alabama Extension – CC0/Wikimedia Commons
