Upcoming 2025 COLA Raise: EBT Cards Set to Receive Up to $3,516 in Food Stamps

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Eligible SNAP beneficiaries will begin receiving their 2025 COLA raise payments on October 1st, with certain states being the first to do so. In addition, the maximum Food Stamp amounts are not sent by every state and territory in the United States.

You should know that some states consolidate all SNAP payments into one single paycheck. Consequently, that is going to be the only paycheck that any recipient may hope for. On October 1, 2024, one of them will deliver the biggest benefit payment following the 2025 COLA.

Which states have a single payday and which pay the most in SNAP benefits?

Everyone who receives food stamps in the states of Vermont, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Alaska will only have to worry about one payday. The US Virgin Islands will also have just one payday, in addition to those two.

On October 1, 2024, the three states that makeup North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont will not receive the largest SNAP checks since the 48 contiguous states share the maximum payment amounts or allotments.

In reality, a family of up to eight people residing in Rural 2 in Alaska is eligible to receive up to $3,516 from the state. There is a significant disparity when contrasted with the maximum SNAP amount in the 48 contiguous states following the 2025 COLA. There is a maximum of $1,751 for a household of eight.

Subsidy continuation beyond 2025 COLA beginning in the year 2024-10-01

Although some states will have additional payment dates, the following is a complete list of all states that will be funding EBT cards on September 1.

• October 1–13 in Arizona
• October 1-10 in California
• Month of October in Colorado
• Hartford, Connecticut: October 1st through the 3rd
• October 1-28 in Florida
• October 1st through the 10th in Idaho…
• Midwest: October 1–10
• Missouri: October 1–10
• October 1-6 in Kansas
• October 1–19 in Kentucky
• October 1st until the 23rd in Louisiana
• October 1st through the 14th through Massachusetts
• October 1st until the 22nd in Missouri
• Great Plains: October 1–5
• October 1st through the 10th in Nevada*
• Schedule for New Jersey: October 1st to the 5th
• Month of October in New Mexico
• October 1–9, New York
• Texas: October 1–10
• October 1–9 in Oregon
• During the initial ten working days in Pennsylvania
• October 1-10 in South Carolina
• From October 1st until the 20th, Tennessee!
• September 1–28 in Texas
• October 1-7 in Virginia
• October 1–20 in Washington, DC
• October 1–9 in West Virginia
• October 1–15 in Wisconsin
• October 1-4 in Wyoming
• D.C. and Guam October 1-10 in Guam
• October 1st to the 10th in the nation’s capital

How does each state’s or territory’s maximum SNAP benefit level come to be?

The maximum SNAP benefit levels vary by state and territory based on the following primary factors:

• Households are required to satisfy income eligibility standards, which are determined by calculating their gross and net income as a percentage of the federal poverty level. States may have different minimum income requirements.
• Households with more members are eligible for larger benefits. For instance, in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the maximum monthly benefit for a 1-person household in fiscal year 2024 is $291 and for a 3-person home, it’s $766.
• Living expenses: relative to the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the income qualifying requirements, maximum benefits, and deduction amounts are higher in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Because of this, the cost of living is higher there.
• Households can determine their net income for SNAP purposes by reducing specific expenses from their gross income. These charges include a part of shelter and child care costs. When deciding how to apply these deductions, states can exercise some discretion.
• “Categorically eligible” for SNAP could refer to a household that is participating in TANF or SSI. Consequently, they evade the asset and gross income criteria. Other qualifying households can also be extended eligibility by the states.

How much less than the 48 contiguous states is the maximum SNAP benefit amount for Alaska?

When compared to the other 48 contiguous states, Alaska has a greater maximum SNAP benefit amount. Within the 2024 budget year (October 2023–September 2024):

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The maximum benefit for a one-person household is $291 in the lower 48 states and $364 in Alaska.
The maximum benefit for a family of four is $973 in the lower 48 states and $1,216 in Alaska.
The maximum benefit for a family of eight is $1,751 in the lower 48 states and $2,188 in Alaska.
With SNAP payments in 2025 (beginning in October 2024), the disparities are more pronounced:

Maximum benefit: $1,751 for a family of eight living in one of the 48 contiguous states.
The highest maximum benefit available in any state or territory is $3,516 for an 8-person household in some rural areas of Alaska (Rural 2).

The Effects of the October 1st COLA on Food Stamp Benefits

The COLA affects both retirement benefits and SNAP, the program that gives food stamps through an electronic benefits transfer card.

To keep households’ fundamental quality of living stable, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) makes this adjustment to make sure that allocations reflect the rise in living expenditures.

The SNAP adjustment is made on October 1st, at the start of the federal fiscal year, in contrast to the annual COLA adjustment for retirement payments, which is notified in October by the Social Security Administration. So, while increases to retirement benefits take effect the following year, SNAP recipients will see these adjustments this year.

Procedure for SNAP Benefit Adjustment (COLA) and When It Occurs

Maximum SNAP allocations, deductions, and income eligibility conditions are adjusted annually by the USDA in response to increases in the cost of living. These changes are important for a large segment of the population because, according to government statistics, approximately 5 million seniors get benefits from both SNAP and retirement.

At the beginning of every federal fiscal year, we revise the maximum SNAP allocations, deductions, and eligible income levels. October 1 marks the start of the fiscal year. The cost of living is the basis for the modifications. A basic level of living requires a certain amount of money, according to the USDA’s website.

When calculating SNAP benefit maximums, how does the USDA arrive at those numbers?

The maximum allotments for SNAP benefits are determined by a multi-step procedure by the USDA:

An individual’s SNAP maximum benefit amount is directly proportional to their Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) cost. A healthy diet for low-income families costs the same as the TFP.

To make a nutritious diet more affordable for millions of families, the USDA revised the TFP in August 2021, increasing SNAP payments.

The number of people living in a home determines the maximum monthly allowance. The maximum monthly allowance for a 1-person household in fiscal year 2024 is $291. For 2 people, the maximum is $535. For 3 people, the maximum is $766. And for 4 people, the maximum is $973. The maximum allocation is increased by $219 for every extra person.

The USDA uses the 30% net income threshold as the basis for determining a household’s real SNAP payment. The maximum benefit is given to households when there is no net income, regardless of the size of the household.

When calculating SNAP benefits, families with a net income take 30% of their net income (less the maximum allocation) each month. After deducting various items from gross income, the remaining amount is called net income.

Your Eligibility for SNAP Benefits and the 2025 COLA: Important Changes

The poverty level is the legal basis for the income eligibility standards imposed by SNAP. The maximum monthly gross income that a family of four can have is 130% of the federal poverty line, which is defined as the entire income of the family before taxes and other deductions.

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Net monthly income, which is calculated as gross income minus permitted deductions, is fixed at 100% of the poverty line, in contrast.

New maximum SNAP allocations and cost-of-living adjustments are announced annually by the USDA. This year’s news about the 2025 COLA rise and how it would affect SNAP payments is likely to be made around the same time as last year’s announcement about the 2024 COLA, which was on August 3.

For the 48 states plus DC, Alaska, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands, the maximum allocations will go up. There will likely be an increase to the 2019 fiscal year’s maximum allocation from this year’s $973 for a family of four in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.

As a result of these changes, SNAP recipients will see an update to their benefits that is in line with the increasing cost of living. Making sure families can afford to buy food without seeing their buying power reduced by inflation is why this is so important.

At what point does the USDA make public the SNAP cost-of-living adjustments?

The USDA typically releases the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments in August of each year. The changes are set to take effect on October 1st, coinciding with the start of the federal fiscal year.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can look forward to a boost in their benefits to help offset the impact of inflation, as the 2025 COLA is scheduled to be announced shortly.

To guarantee that recipients can meet their dietary demands and keep up a basic level of living, these modifications are crucial.

To be ready for these changes, SNAP recipients can follow official USDA channels and visit their local assistance offices for further information. Beneficiaries should also check their benefits and make sure their income and deductions are current so they get the right amount of help.

Pensioners should expect to hear about cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) from the Social Security Administration in October. They are finalized in January of the subsequent year. When the federal fiscal year begins on October 1st, SNAP payments are changed.

Inflation and economic statistics are used by the USDA to modify SNAP benefits. This maintains purchasing power and makes sure benefits are in line with the actual cost of living.

As part of its annual COLA announcement, the USDA revises the poverty level-based income eligibility requirements and deductions. It modifies the maximum SNAP allocations as well.

s4234The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is a yearly adjustment that helps SNAP payments stay up with the cost of living. In the 48 adjacent states plus the District of Columbia, a family of four can get up to $973 in their maximum allocation for the fiscal year 2024.