More than 42 million beneficiaries will receive food assistance this month; check when and how much you are eligible for
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known as “food stamps”, provides monthly assistance to over 42 million people in the United States. In December 2024, payment dates vary by state, and beneficiaries should stay alert to know when their assistance will be deposited.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP benefits 22.2 million low-income households. To qualify, families must meet certain requirements related to poverty and income levels. Although the funds come from the USDA, each state manages the payments, which explains the differences in distribution schedules.
Payment Dates by State
Below are the dates each state will make payments this month:
- Alabama: December 4 to 23
- Alaska: December 1
- Arizona: December 1 to 13
- Arkansas: December 4 to 13
- California: December 1 to 10
- Colorado: December 1 to 10
- Connecticut: December 1 to 3
- Delaware: December 2 to 23
- Florida: December 1 to 28
- Georgia: December 5 to 23
- Hawai’i: December 3 to 5
- Idaho: December 1 to 10
- Illinois: December 1 to 10
- Indiana: December 5 to 23
- Iowa: December 1 to 10
- Kansas: December 1 to 10
- Kentucky: December 1 to 19
- Louisiana: December 1 to 23
- Maine: December 10 to 14
- Maryland: December 4 to 23
- Massachusetts: December 1 to 14
- Michigan: December 3 to 21
- Minnesota: December 4 to 13
- Mississippi: December 4 to 21
- Missouri: December 1 to 22
- Montana: December 2 to 6
- Nebraska: December 1 to 5
- Nevada: December 1 to 10
- New Hampshire: December 5
- New Jersey: December 1 to 5
- New Mexico: December 1 to 20
- New York: December 1 to 9
- North Carolina: December 3 to 21
- North Dakota: December 1
- Ohio: December 2 to 20
- Oklahoma: December 1 to 10
- Oregon: December 1 to 9
- Pennsylvania: within the first 10 business days
- Rhode Island: December 1
- South Carolina: December 1 to 10
- South Dakota: December 10
- Tennessee: December 1 to 20
- Texas: December 1 to 28
- Utah: December 5, 11, and 15
- Vermont: December 1
- Virginia: December 1 to 7
- Washington: December 1 to 20
- West Virginia: December 5 to 12
- Wisconsin: December 1 to 15
- Wyoming: December 1 to 3
U.S. and D.C. Territories:
Guam: Dec. 1 to Dec. 10
Puerto Rico: Dec. 4 to 22
District of Columbia: Dec. 1 to Dec. 10
U.S. Virgin Islands: December 1.
How much will you receive?
The assigned amount depends on the household size. According to the USDA, the calculation assumes that families allocate 30% of their income to food. The maximum values for December are:
|
People in the household |
Maximum monthly allocation |
|
1 |
$292 |
|
2 |
$536 |
|
3 |
$768 |
|
4 |
$975 |
|
5 |
$1,158 |
|
6 |
$1,390 |
|
7 |
$1,536 |
|
8 |
$1,756 |
|
Each additional person |
+$220 |
How to access your benefit?
The payments are automatically deposited into EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards. If you have any questions, contact your state’s SNAP office for specific information about this month’s deposits.
Stay up to date to ensure you receive your assistance on time and plan your food purchases with the available resources.