Nearing the beginning of a new month, people who get food stamps or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will soon get their monthly payment. Families with low incomes in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories can get help from this program, which gives them money to buy food. SNAP payments are given out on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that can be used at stores that are approved by the government.
SNAP is paid for by the federal government, but it is run by state and local governments, which also pay the benefits. Because of this, the time at which benefits are given depends on where the receivers live. While there isn’t a single national plan for when people get their benefits, each state and territory has its own. The exact date is often based on things like the case number or the first letter of the person’s last name.
In California, for example, the person who gets benefits is based on their case number. People whose case numbers end in lower numbers get their benefits earlier in the month than people whose case numbers end in higher numbers.
In Delaware, the amount given is based on the first letter of the person’s last name. In Rhode Island, on the other hand, the method is easier, and everyone who gets SNAP benefits gets them on the same day. This variety in release times shows how SNAP is run in different parts of the United States without a central authority.
Distribution of SNAP Benefits
SNAP benefits will be given out on different dates in September 2024, based on the state or territory:
| Alabama: September 4 to 23
Alaska: September 1 Arizona: September 1 to 13 Arkansas: September 4 to 13 California: September 1 to 10 Colorado: September 1 to 10 Connecticut: September 1 to 3 Delaware: September 2 to 23 District of Columbia: September 1 to 10 Florida: September 1 to 28 Georgia: September 5 to 23 Guam: September 1 to 10 Hawaii: September 3 to 5 Idaho: September 1 to 10 Illinois: September 1 to 20 Indiana: September 5 to 23 Iowa: September 1 to 10 Kansas: September 1 to 10 Kentucky: September 1 to 19 Louisiana: September 1 to 23 |
Maine: September 10 to 14
Maryland: September 4 to 23 Massachusetts: September 1 to 14 Michigan: September 3 to 21 Minnesota: September 4 to 13 Mississippi: September 4 to 21 Missouri: September 1 to 22 Montana: September 2 to 6 Nebraska: September 1 to 5 Nevada: September 1 to 10 New Hampshire: September 5 New Jersey: September 1 to 5 New Mexico: September 1 to 20 New York: September 1 to 9 North Carolina: September 3 to 21 North Dakota: September 1 Ohio: September 2 to 20 Oklahoma: September 1 to 10
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Oregon: September 1 to 9
Pennsylvania: September 3 to 14 Puerto Rico: September 4 to September 22 Rhode Island: September 1 South Carolina: September 1 to 19 South Dakota: September 10 Tennessee: September 1 to 20 Texas: September 1 to 28 Utah: September 5, 11 and 15 Virgin Islands: September 1 Vermont: September 1 Virginia: September 1 to 7 Washington: September 1 to 20 West Virginia: September 1 to 9 Wisconsin: September 1 to 15 Wyoming: September 1 to 4 |
It’s important to know that the USDA has stated that starting in October, SNAP benefits will go up in all U.S. states and territories except Hawaii. This change is because of the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which is meant to help people get by with higher prices and inflation.
Also, people in Colorado who get SNAP benefits can get an extra $60 in benefits during the month of September. People who buy fruits and veggies from participating stores and markets can get this extra help. This is meant to encourage beneficiaries to eat healthier.