SNAP Benefits Rise for Fiscal 2027: Maximum for a Family of Four Now $1,023 a Month
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Administration (renamed from the Food and Nutrition Service in June 2026) has put its fiscal year 2027 cost-of-living adjustments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into effect as of October 1, running through September 30, 2027. In the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, the maximum monthly allotment rose from $298 to $306 for a one-person household and from $994 to $1,023 for a family of four.
By household size, the new maximums in the 48 states and D.C. are $306 for one person, $562 for two, $808 for three, $1,023 for four, $1,217 for five, $1,463 for six, $1,616 for seven and $1,841 for eight, with $225 for each additional person. The minimum benefit for one- and two-person households rose from $24 to $25. The figures derive from the Thrifty Food Plan, repriced each June, an increase of about 2.9 percent. Hawaii is the only place where maximums fell, with a family of four dropping from $1,689 to $1,655, while Alaska, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands all rose.
Eligibility standards moved with the benefits. The gross monthly income limit is 130 percent of the federal poverty line ($1,729 for one person, $3,575 for four), and the net income limit is 100 percent ($1,330 and $2,750). The standard deduction is $217 for households of one to three and $229 for a household of four; the shelter deduction is capped at $769; and the asset limit for households with an elderly or disabled member is $4,750. A household's actual benefit equals the maximum for its size minus 30 percent of its net income.
Current SNAP households do not need to reapply. States apply the new amounts automatically to October benefits.
USDA SNAP cost-of-living adjustment page
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国农业部在Baltimore农贸市场推广SNAP电子福利的活动（资料图）。美国农业部摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A USDA event promoting electronic SNAP benefits at a Baltimore farmers market (file photo). Photo by USDA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
