SNAP Benefits 2026: Maximum Allotments and New Work Rules

FY2026 maximum allotments

SNAP benefits are set for each federal fiscal year, which runs October 1 through September 30. The amounts below apply from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, from the USDA FY2026 COLA memo. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands have higher amounts.

The minimum benefit for eligible one- and two-person households is $24 a month.

The maximum is what a household with zero net income receives. Most households receive less: the benefit is reduced as net income rises. The SNAP allotments data page has the same table and will update the day USDA publishes FY2027 figures.

Income limits for FY2026

To qualify, most households must pass two income tests. Gross income (before deductions) must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, and net income (after deductions) must be at or below 100%. The figures below are from the USDA memo and the FNA eligibility page, which agree.

The rule that matters most for older adults: a household with a member who is 60 or older or receives disability benefits does not have to pass the gross income test. Only the net income test applies. Because medical expenses are deductible for that member, many older adults with Social Security income above the gross limit still qualify.

A separate 165% column ($2,152 for one person, $2,909 for two) is used only for certain elderly or disabled people who live with others but buy and prepare food separately.

Deductions that reduce your countable income

SNAP subtracts these from gross income to reach net income (FY2026, 48 states and D.C., from the USDA memo):

Also deductible: a share of earned income, dependent care costs, child support paid, and out-of-pocket medical expenses above a small monthly threshold for a member who is 60 or older or disabled. That medical deduction covers Medicare premiums, prescriptions, copays, dental, glasses, hearing aids and transportation to appointments.

Resource limits

Countable resources are mainly cash and bank accounts. Your home, one vehicle in most states, and retirement accounts such as IRAs and 401(k)s in most states are not counted. Many states have raised or removed the asset test through “broad-based categorical eligibility”; check your state.

What this means for you

Three examples using the FY2026 figures from the USDA memo. Actual benefits depend on your state’s rules and your exact expenses.

Example 1: Widow, 72, living alone on Social Security. Her benefit is $1,919 a month, SSA’s estimated average for an aged widow in 2026 (SSA fact sheet). That is above the $1,696 gross limit, but because she is over 60 the gross test does not apply. Her Medicare Part B premium of $202.90 (CMS fact sheet) plus her prescriptions count as medical costs, and the amount above the threshold is deductible. After the $209 standard deduction, her medical deduction and a shelter deduction for rent, her net income can fall below the $1,305 net limit. She would likely qualify for a modest benefit, and at minimum $24 a month.

Example 2: Couple, both 66, with $2,500 a month in Social Security and a $900 rent. They are over 60, so no gross test. Net income after the $209 standard deduction and medical and shelter deductions determines eligibility against the $1,763 two-person net limit. Whether they qualify depends on their shelter and medical costs; a household with high rent and two Part B premiums often does. Their maximum possible benefit is $546.

Example 3: Man, 58, unemployed, no dependents. He is under 65, so the ABAWD work rule applies to him. Unless he works or participates in a work program at least 20 hours a week, or qualifies for an exception, he can receive benefits for only 3 months in a 36-month period. His maximum benefit is $298 a month if he qualifies.

The 2025 work-rule changes (ABAWD)

“ABAWD” means able-bodied adult without dependents. The long-standing rule, quoted on the FNA eligibility page, is that these adults “are required to work or participate in a work program for at least 20 hours per week in order to receive SNAP benefits for more than 3 months in a 36-month period.”

The 2025 budget law (often called the One Big Beautiful Bill) changed who is covered. USDA’s implementation memo of October 3, 2025 (ABAWD exceptions memo) sets these changes effective July 4, 2025, the law’s enactment date:

In the memo’s words: “individuals aged 18 to 64 are now subject to the time limit, unless they meet another exception.” States were told to apply the changes immediately to new applications and recertifications.

Who is still exempt

Age 65 and older is outside the time limit entirely. Other exceptions that remain: people who are physically or mentally unfit for work, people caring for an incapacitated person, pregnant women, people already working enough hours or earning the equivalent at minimum wage, and people in drug or alcohol treatment. Your state agency decides whether you meet an exception.

A note on conflicting sources

When we checked in September 2026, USDA’s own eligibility web page still listed veterans, homeless individuals and former foster youth as exempt, while the October 2025 implementation memo says those exceptions were removed as of July 4, 2025. We treat the memo as controlling because it is the newer, more specific document, but state implementation varies. If you are a veteran or homeless and aged 55 through 64, ask your state SNAP office directly how it is applying the rule.

Waivers are harder to get

States used to waive the time limit in areas with “a lack of sufficient jobs.” The ABAWD waivers memo eliminates that standard. Waivers now require an unemployment rate of over 10 percent, last no more than 12 months, and old waivers based on the removed standard ended about November 3, 2025. Alaska and Hawaii have separate provisions. In practice, far fewer areas qualify for a waiver, so adults 55 through 64 in most of the country now face the 20-hour rule for the first time.

Step by step: applying at 60 or older

1. Gather proof of income: your Social Security award letter or the benefit amount from your my Social Security account, pension statements, and any wages.
2. Gather medical receipts: Medicare premium (your Social Security statement shows the deduction), Part D and Medigap premiums, prescriptions, copays, dental and vision bills. Only costs above the monthly threshold are deducted, but they add up.
3. Gather shelter costs: rent or mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance, and utility bills. Most states apply a standard utility allowance.
4. Apply through your state. Every state has an online application; many also accept phone applications for older adults. You can also apply at a local office.
5. Complete the interview. States must offer a phone interview. Households with all members 60 or older or disabled and no earned income can often be certified for longer periods with simpler renewals.
6. Report changes. Report if your income rises above the limit or your household changes. Check your state’s reporting rules; many use simplified reporting for elderly households.

Coming October 1, 2026: FY2027 amounts

USDA adjusts SNAP amounts each October 1 for food-price inflation. The FY2026 memo was dated August 14, 2025. As of the date of this article, the FY2027 memo has not appeared on USDA’s SNAP COLA page or policy memo feed. When it does, the new maximum allotments, income limits and deductions take effect October 1, 2026, and your state will apply them automatically to existing cases. We will update this article and the SNAP allotments page as soon as USDA publishes.

If you receive both SNAP and Social Security, note that the 2027 Social Security COLA, expected to be announced in October 2026, will raise your countable income in January 2027. See how the 2026 COLA changed benefits for what the last increase looked like.

This article is for general information only and is not financial, tax, legal or insurance advice. Found an error? See our corrections policy.