SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps) range from a minimum of about $23 per month for a one- or two-person household up to a maximum of $292 per month for a single person living in the 48 contiguous states. Larger households receive more: a family of four can get up to $975, and a family of eight up to $1,756. Your actual amount depends on your household size, income, and certain expenses.
Maximum Monthly Benefits by Household Size
The USDA sets maximum allotments each fiscal year. For FY 2025 (October 2024 through September 2025), the maximums for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. are:
- 1 person: $292
- 2 people: $536
- 3 people: $768
- 4 people: $975
- 5 people: $1,158
- 6 people: $1,390
- 7 people: $1,536
- 8 people: $1,756
For each additional person beyond eight, add about $220. These are the most you can receive. Many households get less because the benefit is reduced based on income.
How Your Benefit Is Calculated
SNAP assumes you can spend 30% of your net income on food. Your monthly benefit equals the maximum allotment for your household size minus 30% of your net income. If your net income is zero, you get the full maximum. If you earn money, the benefit shrinks by 30 cents for every dollar of net income.
Net income is not the same as your paycheck. The program subtracts several deductions from your gross income before applying the 30% rule:
- Standard deduction: $204 for households of 1 to 3 people, $217 for 4 people, $254 for 5, and $291 for 6 or more
- Earned income deduction: 20% of any wages or self-employment income
- Shelter deduction: Housing costs that exceed half your income after other deductions, capped at $712 (no cap if someone in the household is elderly or disabled)
- Dependent care deduction: Costs for childcare or care of a disabled household member
- Medical expenses: Out-of-pocket medical costs over $35 per month for elderly or disabled members
These deductions can significantly lower your countable income, which raises your benefit. A single person earning $1,500 gross per month, for example, would have a much lower net income after the standard deduction, earned income deduction, and any shelter costs are subtracted.
Higher Amounts in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories
Because food costs more in certain areas, SNAP allotments are higher outside the contiguous states. Starting in FY 2026, a single person in Hawaii can receive up to $506, compared to roughly $292 on the mainland. Alaska has three separate benefit tiers based on whether you live in an urban area, a rural area, or a remote rural area. A single person in urban Alaska can get up to $385, while someone in the most remote parts of the state can receive up to $598.
Guam’s maximum for one person is $439, and the U.S. Virgin Islands’ maximum is $383. For a family of four, Hawaii’s maximum reaches $1,689, and rural Alaska tops out at $1,995.
Income and Asset Limits
To qualify for SNAP, most households must have gross income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level and net income at or below 100%. For a single person, those thresholds are roughly $1,580 and $1,215 per month, respectively. Each additional household member raises the limits.
Households with an elderly or disabled member only need to meet the net income test, not the gross income test. This is an important distinction because it allows some households with slightly higher earnings to still qualify.
There are also asset limits. Your household can have up to $3,000 in countable resources like cash and bank balances. If anyone in the household is 60 or older or has a disability, that limit rises to $4,500. Most states exclude the value of your home and at least one vehicle from the asset count.
Work Requirements for Adults Without Dependents
If you are between 18 and 54, able to work, and have no dependents, you fall into a category called ABAWDs (able-bodied adults without dependents). You generally need to work or participate in a work program at least 80 hours per month to receive SNAP beyond three months in any three-year period. This can include paid employment, volunteer work, or enrollment in a job training program. Some states waive this requirement in areas with high unemployment.
What You Can Buy With SNAP
SNAP benefits are loaded onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card that works like a debit card at grocery stores, supermarkets, and many farmers’ markets. You can buy fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, snack foods, and non-alcoholic beverages. Seeds and plants that produce food are also eligible.
You cannot use SNAP for alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, supplements, prepared hot foods, or non-food items like cleaning supplies and pet food. Some states run a separate Restaurant Meals Program that allows elderly, disabled, or homeless SNAP recipients to buy prepared meals at participating restaurants, but this is not available everywhere.
When Benefits Are Updated
SNAP amounts are adjusted every October based on changes to the Thrifty Food Plan, which is the USDA’s estimate of what a nutritious diet costs. This annual cost-of-living adjustment means your maximum benefit may go up or, in rare cases, stay flat if food prices haven’t risen. The FY 2026 figures (effective October 2025) have already been published, showing modest increases across all household sizes and regions.