As the new month begins, users of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), sometimes known as food stamps, will shortly get their monthly allotment of monies.
This program is intended to assist low-income households in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the United States territories by providing cash support for food purchases. SNAP benefits are provided via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which may be spent at authorized shops.
While the federal government finances SNAP, the program is administered by state and local governments, including benefit payments. As a result, the time of benefit delivery differs according to where participants live.
Rather than a standardized national distribution timetable, states and territories have their schedules for when beneficiaries get benefits, with the exact date typically decided by criteria such as case numbers or the first letter of the recipient’s last name.
In California, for example, benefits are distributed based on the recipient’s case number, with those with lower case numbers receiving them sooner in the month than those with higher numbers. In Delaware, the distribution is based on the first letter of the beneficiary’s surname.
Rhode Island, on the other hand, has a simpler system in which all SNAP users receive their payments on the same day. This difference in delivery schedules demonstrates the decentralized structure of SNAP administration in the United States.
Distribution of SNAP Benefits
In September 2024, SNAP payments will be given on several days depending 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
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
In a critical update, the USDA has stated that beginning in October, SNAP payments would be increased in all U.S. states and territories, except Hawaii. This change is related to the yearly Cost of Living change (COLA), which is intended to assist beneficiaries in keeping up with inflation and growing living expenditures.
Furthermore, during September, Colorado SNAP users can get an additional $60 in benefits. This additional help is offered to people who purchase fruits and vegetables from participating stores and marketplaces, encouraging recipients to adopt healthy eating habits.
