SNAP Benefits Payment October 2026: When are benefits being deposited for next month?

Millions of SNAP recipients will begin receiving their October 2026 benefits next week, but the exact deposit date depends on the state where you live and, in some cases, information tied to your case. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , commonly known as SNAP or food stamps , provides monthly food assistance through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account.

The program is federally funded and overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture , but individual states administer SNAP and determine their own payment schedules, meaning there is no single nationwide date when October benefits will appear. Some states issue payments to all eligible households on one day, while others spread deposits across several days based on factors such as case numbers, Social Security numbers or recipients' names. October also brings an important change to SNAP benefit amounts because the new federal fiscal year begins on October 1. USDA adjusts maximum allotments, income eligibility standards and certain deductions annually based on changes in the cost of living. For the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. , the maximum monthly benefit for FY 2027 rises to $306 for a one-person household, $562 for two people, $808 for three and $1,023 for four. The minimum benefit for eligible one- and two-person households also increases to $25. These are maximum allotments, not automatic payments. A household's actual SNAP benefit can be lower depending on factors including household income and applicable deductions. The new maximum for a four-person household in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C for the FY 2027 is $1,023, up from $994 in FY 2026. A one-person household's maximum rises from $298 to $306. Separate maximum allotments apply in Alaska , Hawaii , Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands . Hawaii is the exception to the broader increase, with its maximum allotments decreasing under its separate cost-of-living calculation.

SNAP Benefits October 2026 payment schedule

The timing of October's deposit depends on the state administering your case. Alaska , North Dakota , Rhode Island and Vermont generally issue benefits at the beginning of the month, while other states use longer issuance windows. California , for example, distributes CalFresh benefits during the first 10 days of the month based on the final digit of a recipient's case number. Other states use different systems, so recipients should check their state's SNAP agency for the specific October schedule. Below is the full list of SNAP payment dates for October 2026, ordered alphabetically by state:

Alabama : October 4–23 Alaska : October 1 Arizona : October 1–13 Arkansas : October 4–13 California : October 1–10 Colorado : October 1–10 Connecticut : October 1–8 Delaware : October 2–23 District of Columbia : October 1–10 Florida : October 1–28 Georgia : October 5–23 Guam : October 1–10 Hawaii : October 3–5 Idaho : October 1–10 Illinois : October 1–20 Indiana : October 5–23 Iowa : October 1–10 Kansas : October 1–10 Kentucky : October 1–19 Louisiana : October 1–23 Maine : October 10–14 Maryland : October 4–23 Massachusetts : October 1–14 Michigan : October 3–21 Minnesota : October 4–13 Mississippi : October 4–21 Missouri : October 1–22 Montana : October 2–6 Nebraska : October 1–5 Nevada : October 1–10 New Hampshire : October 5 New Jersey : October 1–5 New Mexico : October 1–20 New York : October 1–9 North Carolina : October 3–21 North Dakota : October 1 Ohio : October 2–20 Oklahoma : October 1–10 Oregon : October 1–9 Pennsylvania : October 1–15 Rhode Island : October 1 South Carolina : October 1–19 South Dakota : October 10 Tennessee : October 1–20 Texas : October 1–28 Utah : October 5, 11 and 15 Vermont : October 1 U.S. Virgin Islands : October 1 Virginia : October 1–7 Washington : October 1–20 West Virginia : October 1–9 Wisconsin : October 1–15 Wyoming : October 1–4