Overview
- The OBBB-driven rules expand work mandates up to age 64, narrow caregiver exemptions to children under 14, and remove prior carveouts for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and certain former foster youth.
- USDA has authorized state pilots to bar purchases such as sugary drinks, candy, energy drinks and prepared desserts, with 18 states adopting restrictions on staggered 2026 start dates and Florida running a two‑year pilot with defined prohibited items.
- January 2026 payment calendars are posted: New Jersey deposits benefits Jan. 1–5 by case-number digit (Warren County on Jan. 1), Illinois pays on scheduled dates tied to enrollment history and ID digits, and Arizona issues Jan. 1–13 based on last-name initials.
- Maximum SNAP allotments rise in 2026 under COLA, with reported examples of $298 for a one-person household in the contiguous states, $546 for two people and $994 for four, with higher amounts in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Coverage cites analyses projecting an average monthly decline of about 2.4 million participants over the next decade and outlining new immigration-related limits that could exclude some asylum seekers and trafficking victims, including a reported five‑year wait in some cases after receiving a green card.