Millions of people across the United States rely on monthly payments sent by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP benefits and formerly as food stamps.
It is a federal initiative distributed in 50 states and other territories such as the District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, for low-income families who need a little financial help to make ends meet.
SNAP benefits recipients receive a card called an electronic benefit transfer (EBT), which works exactly like a debit or credit card and can be used at merchants affiliated with the program to buy groceries. You can buy all kinds of fresh or canned foods and others such as breads or cookies, and you can also buy plants to grow food at home or seeds to plant them.
It is not allowed to use SNAP benefits to exchange them for cash or to purchase prohibited products such as cigarettes, alcohol, prescription drugs and others.
SNAP Income Eligibility Limits in 2024
Because the benefits are designed for low-income families, there are thresholds that must be respected depending on the size of the family in terms of the number of members.
These limits are detailed below for families of 1 to 8 members. First, let’s review how much is the gross limit, which is 130% of the government’s federal poverty level (household size and gross income limit):
- 1 person: $1,580
- 2 people: $2,137
- 3 people: $2,694
- 4 people: $3,250
- 5 people: $3,807
- 6 people: $4,364
- 7 people: $4,921
- 8 people: $5,478
- Each additional member: +$557
Then let’s review how much is the net income limit, which should be equivalent to 100% of the federal poverty level:
- 1 person: $1,215
- 2 people: $1,644
- 3 people: $2,072
- 4 people: $2,500
- 5 people: $2,929
- 6 people: $3,357
- 7 people: $3,785
- 8 people: $4,214
- Each additional member: +$429
Maximum SNAP Benefits You will Receive in 2024, according to the Size of your Household
The United States Department of Agriculture, which coordinates SNAP benefits through the National Food Service (FNS), also establishes maximum amounts that can be awarded to a qualifying family, according to how many people make it up:
- Household of 1 person: $291
- Household of 2 people: $535
- Household of 3 people: $766
- Household of 4 people: $973
- Household of 5 people: $1,155
- Household of 6 people: $1,386
- Household of 7 people: $1,532
- Household of 8 people: $1,751
- Each additional member: $219
- Minimum allowance: $23
Remember that these are only the maximum benefits and it does not necessarily mean that you and your family qualify for these amounts. The size of the payment you are going to receive depends on many factors, including resources (goods, properties, savings, etc.) and gross and net income.
SNAP Benefit Payment Dates in July 2024 in All States
Although the federal government is the one that provides the money for the SNAP program, each state has the authority to make the payments in the way that best serves its populations, in order to reflect in its payment system and payment dates each month a better impact on local beneficiaries. With all that said, here are the payment dates for each state in the coming month of July 2024:
- Alabama: July 4th – 23rd
- Alaska: July 1
- Arizona: July 1st -13th
- Arkansas: July 4th -13th
- California: From July 1st to 10th
- North Carolina: July 3rd – 21st
- South Carolina: July 1st – 10th
- Colorado: From July 1st to 10th
- Connecticut: July 1st -3rd
- North Dakota: July 1
- South Dakota: July 10
- Delaware: From July 2nd to 23rd
- DC: from the 1st to the 10th of July
- Florida: From July 1st to 28th
- Georgia: from 5 to 23 July
- Hawaii: July 3rd -5th
- Idaho: July 1st -10th
- Illinois: July 1st -10th
- Indiana: July 5th – 23rd
- Iowa: July 1-10
- Kansas: July 1st -10th
- Kentucky: July 1-19
- Louisiana: July 1st – 23rd
- Maine: July 10th -14th
- Maryland: July 4th – 23rd
- Massachusetts: July 1st -14th
- Michigan: July 3rd – 21st
- Minnesota: July 4th -13th
- Mississippi: July 4th – 21st
- Missouri: July 1st – 22nd
- Montana: from the 2nd to the 6th of July
- Nebraska: July 1st -5th
- Nevada: from the 1st to the 10th of July
- New Jersey: July 1st -5th
- New York: from 1 to 9 July
- New Hampshire: July 5
- New Mexico: July 1st – 20th
- Ohio: July 2nd -20th
- Oklahoma: July 1st -10th
- Oregon: July 1st -9th
- Pennsylvania: July 3rd -14th
- Rhode Island: July 1
- Tennessee: July 1-20
- Texas: July 1st – 28th
- Utah: July 5th, 11th and 15th
- Vermont: July 1
- Virginia: July 1st -7th
- West Virginia: July 1st -9th
- Washington: From 1 to 20 July
- Wisconsin: July 1st -15th
- Wyoming: From the 1st to the 4th of July