Formerly referred to as food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a government welfare program that provides assistance to families and individuals suffering from food insecurity. As many as 41.2 million U.S. citizens, or about 1 in 8 Americans, participated in the program in fiscal year 2022.
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SNAP Benefits: How Long Do They Last?
Although the broad strokes of the SNAP program remain the same from year to year, certain details change annually. Here are some of the biggest changes that are on tap for the SNAP program in 2023.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment
SNAP benefits are adjusted annually based on the rate of inflation. The announced increase in payments for 2023 — which technically started Oct. 1, 2022 — was 12.5%. This means that households receiving $500 in SNAP benefits from Oct. 1, 2021, to Sep. 30, 2022, will see an increase to $562.50 for this year.
Higher Top Payouts
Starting Oct. 1, 2022, and running until Sept. 30, 2023, SNAP recipients will see higher maximum benefit amounts. The values vary depending on the size of the qualifying household, as follows:
- One-person: $281 vs. $250
- Two-person: $516 vs. $459
- Three-person: $740 vs. $658
- Four-person: $939 vs. $835
- Five-person: $1,116 vs. $992
- Six-person: $1,339 vs. $1,190
- Seven-person: $1,480 vs. $1,316
- Eight-person: $1,691 vs. $1,504
- Each additional person: $211 vs. $188
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These SNAP maximums apply to the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Separate tables are in place for residents of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Alaska and Hawaii. Here is the range of SNAP maximums for each of these locales based on household size:
- Guam: $415-$2,493, plus $312 for each additional person beyond eight (up from $369-$2,216, plus $277 per additional person)
- U.S. Virgin Islands: $362-$2,174, plus $272 for each additional person beyond eight (up from $322-$1,933, plus $242 per additional person)
- Alaska: $351-$3,274, plus up to $409 for each additional person beyond eight (up from $322-$3,002, plus up to $375 per additional person)
- Hawaii: $538-$3,230, plus $404 for each additional person beyond eight (up from $274-$2,832, plus $354 per additional person)
Easier Eligibility Limits
To qualify for SNAP benefits, households must have net monthly incomes below these levels, with different limits applying to those in the 48 states, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, those in Alaska, and residents of Hawaii. Starting Oct. 1, 2022, limits were increased to the following levels:
- Household size 1: $1,133/$1,416 /$1,303 (48 states, Guam and Virgin Islands/ Alaska/Hawaii, up from $1,074/$1,341/$1,235 the prior year)
- Household size 2: $1,526/$1,908/$1,755 (up from $1,452/$1,815/$1,670)
- Household size 3: $1,920/$2,400/$2,208 (up from $1,830/$2,288/$2,105)
- Household size 4: $2,313/$2,891/$2,660 (up from $2,209/$2,761/$2,540)
- Household size 5: $2,706/$3,383/$3,113 (up from $2,587/$3,235/$2,975)
- Household size 6: $3,100/$3,875/$3,565 (up from $2,965/$3,708/$3,410)
- Household size 7: $3,493/$4,366/$4,018 (up from $3,344/$4,181/$3,845)
- Household size 8: $3,886/$4,858/$4,470 (up from $3,722/$4,655/$4,280)
- Each additional member: $394/$492/$453 (up from $379/$474/$435)
Maximum Asset Limits
SNAP maximum allowable asset limits increase for this fiscal year as follows:
- Households with at least one member who is age 60 or older or is disabled: $4,250, up from $3,750 the prior year
- All other households: $2,750, up from $2,500 the prior year
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