SNAP's maximum monthly benefit changes every October 1, when the USDA resets it for the new federal fiscal year based on the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan — the government's estimate of what a low-cost, nutritionally adequate diet costs a household. For fiscal year 2026, running October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, here's the maximum a household can receive. * In the 48 contiguous states and D.C., the maximum monthly allotment is $298 for a household of one, $546 for two people, $785 for three, $994 for four, $1,183 for five, $1,421 for six, $1,571 for seven, and $1,789 for eight. Beyond eight people, add $218 per additional household member. * Important detail most applicants misunderstand: these are maximums, not what most households actually get. SNAP benefits are calculated against your net income, and only households with zero net income after deductions receive the full maximum listed above — everyone else gets a smaller amount, roughly reduced by 30% of their net income. * Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands all have separate, higher maximums because food costs so much more to ship or produce there. Alaska alone has three different regional tiers — Urban, Rural 1, and Rural 2 — with a family of four's maximum ranging from $1,285 in urban Alaska up to $1,995 in the most remote rural tier. Hawaii's maximum for a family of four is $1,689.