It is always being worked on by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the Food and Nutrition Service to make the SNAP (Food Stamps) program better in the US. Beneficiaries can get better service and up-to-date numbers this way.
For instance, rising prices affect the buying power of people who get SNAP. They can’t buy as much because food costs more. With the help of COLA, the USDA changes the levels of inflation and the highest amounts that can be paid. For the 48 states that are next to each other, the next 2025 COLA raise will happen on October 1, 2024.
2025 COLA for SNAP benefits
Food Stamp users will be able to get more money, even though it’s not even January yet. In one state, though, the highest amounts for SNAP will go down.
To make things even more interesting, Hawaii will get less money this year than last. There will be more help for Alaska, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as well. Keep in mind that all of them have higher inflation and higher SNAP limit payment amounts.
Check the new maximum amounts from October 1, 2024:
Household Size & maximum amounts in the 48 contiguous States and DC
1 = $292
2 = $536
3 = $768
4 = $975
5 = $1,158
6 = $1,390
7 = $1,536
8 = $1,756
Each additional member $220 *source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fy-2025-cola
SNAP ABAWD age change
The USDA has also made changes for people who get Food Stamps and are between the ages of 18 and 54 and can work. Now, ABAWD is open to people between the ages of 18 and 52. As a result, things will change for people ages 53 to 54.
ABAWDs can only get SNAP benefits for three months out of every 36 months if they don’t meet the work standards of 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month. They will lose their benefits after three months if they don’t meet the requirements. They have 30 days to meet the requirements or become excluded.
The ABAWD time limits can be blown out by the states if a place has high unemployment (over 10%) or not enough jobs. California has had a statewide waiver since November 2022, and it will last until October 2024.
For instance, if you have a child, you might not need to work 80 hours a month or do something else if you can’t find work. Women who are pregnant, Veterans, young adults under 24 who used to be in foster care, or people who are homeless.
What is the reason behind the changes in the SNAP benefits program?
The short-term COVID-19 steps are no longer in effect. This includes extra monthly rewards and making it easier to qualify. These were put in place during the health emergency at the government level. SNAP families will no longer get emergency grants from now on.
The USDA changes SNAP benefits, deductions, and income caps every year based on how much it costs to live. In 2024, payments went up in most states but went down a little in Hawaii.
Benefits from Social Security were raised by 8.7% in 2023. This rise, which is big for many, affects SNAP households. They depend on Social Security for a lot of their money, so when those benefits go up, their SNAP help goes down too.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was signed into law in June 2023, changes who can get SNAP. The age limit for able-bodied adults without children (ABAWD) who have to work goes up from 50 to 54 in 2023 and 2024. Besides that, it adds more exclusions.
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