The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides help to low-income families to purchase basic foods. In Florida, its management is carried out by the Department of Children and Families (DCF), following federal guidelines with state adaptations. Eligibility depends on income, compliance with work requirements and specific profiles such as older adults, disabled people or caregivers.
Benefits are distributed through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card. According to official data, in 2025, a two-person household must have annual gross income ≤ 130% of the federal poverty level (FPL). In 2025, for a family of four, it’s approximately $41,795 annually.
. Exceptions apply for those who exceed these limits but face high medical expenses.
Products allowed and restricted by SNAP benefits
With SNAP, you can buy foods such as bread, cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and seeds for crops, among others. All of this is because “food stamp” funds (as the program was previously known) are designed strictly to bolster American families’ efforts to eat nutritiously.
However, it is prohibited to purchase alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medications, hot ready-to-eat meals, and non-food items such as cleaning or personal hygiene products. These standards seek to ensure that funds are allocated only to basic nutritional needs.
Besides this, in Florida, adults between the ages of 18 and 59 must meet employment standards that require up to 120 hours of work, training, or community service per month, exceeding the federal minimum. Those who do not comply will face loss of benefits after three months, although there are exemptions for those over 60 years of age, the disabled, pregnant women or caregivers of children under 6 years of age.
SNAP Payment Schedule in Florida
In March 2025, Florida’s payment schedule will assign dates based on the ninth and eighth digits of the beneficiary’s case number, excluding the tenth digit. For example, if your case number ends in 789, then your reference number to determine the payment date is 87 (remember that the last digit, the 9, is removed).
That said, the payment dates for the next few days will be the following:
- Case number ending in 46-48 – March 14th
- Case number ending in 49-53 – March 15th
- Case number ending in 54-57 – March 16th
- Case number ending in 58-60 – March 17th
- Case number ending in 61-64 – March 18th
- Case number ending in 65-67 – March 19th
- Case number ending in 68-71 – March 20th
- Case number ending in 72-74 – March 21st
Maximum SNAP benefit amounts in 2025
This is according to the household’s size, but the amount could be different in every case:
- Household size 1: $292
- Household size 2: $536
- Household size 3: $768
- Household size 4: $975
- Household size 5: $1,158
- Household size 6: $1,390
- Household size 7: $1,536
- Household size 8: $1,756
- Each additional person: $220
Some states plan to prohibit SNAP benefits from purchasing junk food
At least ten states, mainly under Republican governments, are considering limiting the purchase of candy, soda, ice cream and desserts prepared with SNAP funds. A notable proposal is the Healthy SNAP Act, introduced by Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-OK), which argues that the 41.9% of American adults with obesity justify these measures.
Critics, such as food rights organizations, point out that these restrictions could stigmatize beneficiaries and reduce their autonomy. In addition, they highlight the lack of broad federal programs that encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables: only ten states participate in pilot initiatives of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to subsidize these products.