The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offers variable benefits based on household size from October 2024 to September 2025.
Monthly maximums in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. are as follows: $292 (1 person), $536 (2 people), $768 (3 people), $975 (4 people), $1,158 (5 people), $1,390 (6 people), $1,536 (7 people), and $1,756 (8 people). Each additional member adds $220.
Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands have higher rates, like $1,258 for a family of four in urban Alaska.
2025 Income Limits to Maintain SNAP Benefits
Households must meet the gross and net income thresholds. For two people, the gross limit is $2,215 per month ($26,580 per year), while the net limit is $1,704. For four people, the limits are $3,380 gross and $2,600 net. Wages, pensions, unemployment benefits, and tips are all considered as forms of income.
Allowable deductions include 20% of earned income, childcare expenses, high housing costs, and medical expenses for the elderly or disabled.
Households with older adults (60+) or people with disabilities are only required to meet the net income threshold. They can save up to $4,500 (compared to $3,000 for other groups), and their income threshold is 165% of the poverty line ($2,071 per month for singles).
Vehicles are not considered resources if they are used as work tools, transport disabled people, provide housing, or are worth less than $4,650.
Another set of requirements is proof of citizenship or legal immigration status: U.S. citizen children of undocumented immigrants may qualify. Residency requires that you apply in your current state. Texas, for example, provides simplified procedures for households consisting solely of the elderly or disabled.
Individuals aged 18 to 52 who do not have dependents (known as ABAWDs) must work 20 or more hours per week or be in training to receive benefits for more than three months per quarter.
How long does it take to have my SNAP benefits approved?
The process can take up to 30 days, but cases with limited resources (<$100 net + $150 gross/month) receive a response within 7 days as they are considered emergency cases.
The funds are delivered via Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, which can be used at physical supermarkets as well as online marketplaces such as Amazon and Walmart. Current amounts will be in effect until September 30, 2025.
Will food stamp payments rise this year? What We Know (and Don’t)
Check the dates: Current SNAP benefits will be in effect until September 30, 2025. When will we know if anything has changed? Hint: Last year, the USDA announced that the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) would be effective August 2, 2024.
So they’re likely to stick to a similar schedule this year. However, until the official announcement is made, it is impossible to predict whether benefits will increase, decrease, or remain the same.
Interestingly, the COLA does not guarantee increases. Look at what happened in Hawaii: after the last two adjustments, beneficiaries’ maximum benefits were reduced! Why? The COLA is tied to inflation, but prices do not always rise. They may remain stable, increase slightly, or even decrease (though this is uncommon).
If nothing changes, the new amounts will become effective on October 1, 2025. However, not everyone is paid on the same day. Your increase (if any) would be reflected in your regular October payment, as per your local calendar.
We must clarify that SNAP recipients have an advantage over Social Security recipients in this situation. While the latter receive their adjustment in January, food assistance recipients see it several months earlier (in October), which is beneficial for those on a tight budget.
The Senior Citizens League (SCL) hopes to achieve a 2.4% COLA for Social Security by 2026, which would benefit SNAP recipients. That may appear to be a small amount, but something similar happened with SNAP last year: its increase was smaller than Social Security’s, so the difference between the previous and new amounts was barely noticeable.
