Overview
- The OBBB implementation raises work participation to at least 80 hours per month and extends requirements up to age 64, with narrower exemptions that no longer automatically cover veterans, people experiencing homelessness, or former foster youth up to 24, and caregiver exemptions limited to children under 14.
- Florida begins a two-year pilot on Jan. 1 barring sodas, energy drinks, sweets and prepared desserts from SNAP purchases, with the state required to collect and report impact data.
- Eighteen states and jurisdictions will roll out item restrictions in 2026 on staggered dates, commonly targeting sugar-sweetened beverages and candies, under USDA-approved authorities.
- January 2026 EBT calendars are posted, including New Jersey payouts over Jan. 1–5 by case number, Illinois deposits by enrollment cohort and ID digits, and Arizona schedules by last name letters through Jan. 13, with maximum benefits rising via the annual COLA.
- New eligibility limits reported for certain immigrants could affect roughly 90,000 people, and analyses cited by media project about 2.4 million losing benefits in an average month over the next decade.