As the new month begins, users of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, will shortly receive 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 financial support for food purchases. SNAP benefits are provided via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which can be spent at authorized retailers.
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 distribution differs according to where participants live. Rather than a standardized national distribution timetable, states and territories have their schedules for when recipients get benefits, with the exact date typically decided by factors 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, uses 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 benefits will be distributed 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 an important update, the USDA said that beginning in October, SNAP payments will be increased in all U.S. states and territories, except Hawaii. This change is related to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which is intended to help recipients keep up with inflation and growing living costs.
Additionally, for September, Colorado SNAP users can earn an additional $60 in benefits. This additional assistance is provided to people who buy fruits and vegetables from participating stores and markets, promoting healthier eating habits among beneficiaries.
