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SNAP benefits are getting a much-needed boost.
Starting Oct. 1, families who receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, will see their payments increase. The benefits will automatically rise to reflect the recent changes in the cost of living due to high inflation—although there are already concerns that the increase won’t be enough.
Here’s everything you need to know about the SNAP cost-of-living increase.
Details on the Cost of Living Adjustment for SNAP
Nearly 41 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As high inflation continues to push food prices upward, this year’s cost-of-living adjustment is much bigger than it was in previous years.
How much is the new maximum monthly SNAP benefit?
For one person, the new maximum SNAP benefit is $281.
The maximum benefit for a family of three (living in the 48 contiguous states and D.C.) will increase from $658 to $740. Keep in mind that your new monthly benefit will vary, depending on your income and any deductions for which you may qualify.
| Maximum Monthly SNAP benefits for 48 contiguous states and D.C. (Oct. 2022 to Sep. 2023) | |
| Household size | 48 states and D.C. |
| 1 | $281 |
| 2 | $516 |
| 3 | $740 |
| 4 | $939 |
| 5 | $1,116 |
| 6 | $1,339 |
| 7 | $1,480 |
| 8 | $1,691 |
| Each additional person | $211 |
| Source: USDA |
What else changes?
A variety of other SNAP criteria have increased, including the income eligibility standards and deductions.
For example, the standard deduction amount, which is a flat rate subtracted from household income to determine net income eligibility, increased from $177 to $193 for households of 1 to 4 people. A higher deduction means a household may qualify for more in benefits.
The gross monthly income cap for a family of three to receive benefits has also increased from $2,379 to $2,495.
I already receive SNAP benefits. What do I have to do to get the increase?
Nothing. The increases will be automatic.
How do I sign up for SNAP benefits?
Each state is responsible for distributing SNAP benefits. Contact your local SNAP office to apply. You can find your local office using the state directory map here.
Will SNAP Increases Be Enough To Counteract High Inflation?
SNAP benefits are adjusted yearly to account for inflation. This year’s changes are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for June 2022. Based on that data, SNAP benefits will increase by 12.5% for 12 months starting in October, compared to the year prior.
But there will likely be a gap between the increase and how high food prices continue to climb. Food-at-home (grocery) prices have increased further since June, and have seen a 13.5% increase for the year ending in August 2022.
This gap means those who receive SNAP benefits will see their purchasing power eroded.
Elaine Waxman, senior fellow at the Income and Benefits Policy Center at the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank the Urban Institute, notes that previous SNAP cost-of-living increases have typically been sufficient as the country has seen relatively low food price inflation.
“That system is not set up for this kind of scenario,” says Waxman.
The emergency SNAP allotment, authorized at the start of the pandemic, is still in place. Waxman says it will help cover some of the gap between the recent adjustment and any food price increases in the near future.
But that emergency allotment is set to expire once the national emergency is declared over—which could be soon—and about half of states have already opted out of providing the expansion, which guaranteed households to receive a minimum of $95 in extra aid.
There’s also evidence that inflation already eroded the purchasing power of SNAP benefits over the last year, according to a blog post from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a nonpartisan research and policy institute.
The institute points out that the maximum SNAP benefit amount for a household of four in June was $835—over $100 less than the cost of foods included in the Thrifty Food Plan, a calculation that the USDA develops to help estimate the cost of a healthy diet.
That gap can force families to make difficult sacrifices.
“When inflation erodes the value of SNAP benefits during the year, households either have to spend more of their cash income on food or cut back on their food expenditures,” reads the post by CBPP director of researcher Joseph Llobrera.
The Food Research & Action Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to food advocacy, says that even with the recent Thrifty Food Plan adjustment, the new SNAP increases fall short and more fundamental change to the program is needed to close the gap between benefit amounts and the actual cost of food.
