How are SNAP maximum benefits calculated and updated in 2025?
Executive summary
SNAP maximum monthly benefits are set each October by the USDA using Cost‑of‑Living Adjustments tied to the Thrifty Food Plan; benefits for FY2026 took effect Oct. 1, 2025 and the allotments are the starting point from which a household’s payment is calculated (maximum allotments published by USDA and the COLA tables) [1] [2]. The basic federal formula gives a household the maximum allotment for its size minus 30% of the household’s net monthly income; in November 2025 short‑term administrative guidance reduced those published maximums for some issuances, producing temporary cuts that states were told to implement [3] [4] [5].
1. How the “maximum” is set: the annual COLA and the Thrifty Food Plan
USDA publishes annual Cost‑of‑Living Adjustments (COLA) that update the maximum SNAP allotments for each household size and certain geographies; the FY2025/FY2026 tables and memos show specific dollar maximums and regional adjustments such as higher maximums for Alaska, Hawaii and territories [1] [2]. Those published maximum allotments are the program’s ceiling — the dollar amount a household with zero net income would receive absent any temporary administrative reductions [2].
2. The domestic formula: maximum minus 30% of net income
The federal calculation used by states derives a household’s monthly allotment by taking the published maximum for household size and subtracting 30% of the household’s net monthly income (gross income less allowable deductions). In short: allotment = maximum allotment for household size − (0.30 × net monthly income). USDA’s eligibility guidance states this rule explicitly [3].
3. Deductions and “net income” — who benefits from expense rules
Net income is gross income after allowed deductions — for example standard deductions, earned‑income deductions (20% of earned income), medical or elderly/disabled deductions, dependent care and shelter deductions where applicable — which reduce the amount subtracted (the 30% share), increasing the final allotment (available sources provide that the 20% earned income exclusion and standard deduction apply; exact deduction values are in USDA guidance and collateral summaries) [6] [7]. CBPP’s explainer and USDA guidance describe the deduction framework used to convert gross to net income [7] [3].
4. Geographic and household size differences
Published maximums vary by household size and, for Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories, by location; for example the FY2025 tables show differences in family‑of‑four maximums across jurisdictions [1] [2]. State agencies apply the national formula but also follow state‑specific rules for resources, categorizing households and certain waivers or exemptions that affect eligibility [2] [8].
5. What changed in late 2025: temporary cuts and legal chaos
In October–November 2025 the USDA issued guidance instructing states to reduce maximum allotments for November benefit issuance because of funding and administrative guidance; initial memos proposed large reductions (50%), then were revised to different reduction levels (for example a revised memo showed a 65% reduced allotment table and other guidance described a 50% reduction mechanism), producing a patchwork of partial payments, court fights and state actions [4] [5] [9]. Advocacy groups modelled how those percent reductions applied to USDA maximums would translate into much lower average benefits because the formula subtracts 30% of net income from the reduced maximum [9].
6. How those temporary cuts were to be applied
USDA memoranda from November 2025 told states to calculate benefits during the reduction by first reducing the maximum allotment amount by the specified percentage and then subtracting 30% of household net income from that reduced maximum; that method means households at zero net income would see a direct percentage cut to their prior maximum allotment [4]. Subsequent revised memos adjusted the percentage of reduction and attached new maximum tables [5].
7. Restoration, legal challenges, and practical effects
Some states sued to force full funding and some courts ordered immediate restoration of full benefits for certain populations; California reported restoration of full CalFresh benefits after litigation, and by mid‑November many states were resuming normal schedules or issuing full December payments, but the situation produced uneven implementation and uncertainty for millions in November 2025 [10] [11] [12]. CBPP and other analysts warned that reduced maximums translate into deeper cuts for many households because of how the 30% subtraction interacts with lower ceilings [9] [13].
8. What readers should watch next
Available sources link future maximums to the annual October COLA updates (next regular update Oct. 2026) and to ongoing litigation and administrative decisions about funding and guidance; states’ own SNAP notices and USDA memos are the authoritative sources for month‑to‑month changes [2] [4] [5]. For household‑specific estimates, state SNAP offices and calculators that incorporate the latest USDA tables can produce a tailored projection, but those estimates will reflect any temporary administrative reductions or restored funding orders in a given month [6] [12].
Limitations: reporting here relies solely on the provided documents; available sources do not mention the precise numeric values for every deduction category in FY2026 or every state’s implementation decisions beyond the cited memos and state statements (not found in current reporting).