New SNAP benefit payments, formerly known as food stamps, are being prepared to be sent to the hundreds of thousands of families waiting for them all over the United States, in all 49 states, as well as in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington DC, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.
Not all payments start and end on the same dates of the month, since, despite the fact that the SNAP benefits program is financed with federal funds from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), each state has the authority to administer the distribution of food stamps according to its needs and possibilities.
30 States to Start Sending Snap Benefits on May 1st
We have found that there are 30 states and territories that will be sending SNAP benefit payments starting on May 1, and we are going to explain, one by one, when the payments finish being sent in each of them:
States that send SNAP benefits from May 1st:
- Alaska: (May 1st)
- Arizona (1st to 13th)
- California (1st to 10th)
- Colorado (1st to 10th)
- Connecticut (1st to 3rd)
- Delaware (2nd to 23rd)
- District of Columbia (1st to 10th)
- Florida (1st to 28th)
- Guam (1st to 10th)
- Idaho (1st to 10th)
- Illinois (1st to 10th)
- Iowa (1st to 10th)
- Kansas (1st to 10th)
- Kentucky (1st to 19th)
- Louisiana (1st to 23rd)
- Missouri (1st to 22nd)
- Montana (2nd to 6th)
- Nebraska (1st to 5th)
- Nevada (1st to 10th)
- New Jersey (1st to 5th)
- New Mexico (1st to 20th)
- New York (1st to 9th)
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma (1st to 10th)
- Oregon (1st to 9th)
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina (1st to 10th)
- Tennessee (1st to 20th)
- Texas (1st to 28th)
- Vermont
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia (1st to 7th)
- Washington (1st to 20th)
- West Virginia (1st to 9th)
- Wyoming (1st to 4th)
On the other hand, these states start the payment rounds on different days, according to how we have grouped them below:
May 3rd:
- Hawaii (3rd to 5th)
- Michigan (3rd to 21st)
- North Carolina (3rd to 21st)
- Pennsylvania (3rd to 14th)
May 4th:
- Alabama (4th to 23rd)
- Arkansas (4th to 13th)
- Maryland (4th to 23rd)
- Minnesota (4th to 13th)
- Mississippi (4th to 21st)
- Puerto Rico (4th to 22nd)
May 5th:
- Georgia (5th to 23rd)
- Indiana (5th to 23rd)
- New Hampshire
- Utah (5th, 11th, 15th)
May 10th:
- Maine (10th to 14th)
- Massachusetts (1st to 14th)
- South Dakota
May 15th:
- Wisconsin (1st to 15th)
Changes in the SNAP Program to Modify How People Qualify
A rule that will change the way SNAP benefits are handed out across the United States is being considered. These benefits, also known as food stamps, help low-income individuals and families buy food and cover basic needs.
The new proposal, made by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), aims to exempt certain applicants from time limits and expand the age groups to which these limits apply. In the past, SNAP recipients without dependents could only receive aid for three months in a three-year period unless they met specific work requirements. During the pandemic, these requirements were suspended, but they were reapplied in October 2023.
Now, the proposal plans to gradually increase the age range subject to these limits, going from 18 to 49 years to 18 to 54 years. This will be implemented in stages, starting in September 2023 and culminating in October 2024.
These changes could affect millions of people who rely on SNAP benefits, as they alter who can get help and for how long.