Overview

• Maximum monthly allotments for FY2026 take effect Oct. 1, including $994 for a family of four, $298 for a single person, and $1,786 for eight people.
• Each additional household member adds $226 to the maximum benefit, with actual amounts varying by income and household size.
• Federal work rules for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents ages 18–54 require 80 hours per month of work, training, school, or volunteer service.
• Starting Nov. 1, the work-rule population expands to adults 55–64, parents whose youngest child is 14 or older, veterans, and certain former foster youth.
• States continue to process applications on regular schedules, must decide eligibility within 30 days or five days for expedited cases, and issue benefits via EBT cards.