By Divya Verma

Copyright inquisitr

In October 2025, annual updates to Social Security will be announced. These will be based on inflation and COLA updates. Based on COLA adjustments, changes will be implemented to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as well.

The US government will implement these changes to the maximum allotment of SNAP, eligibility rules, and deductions. These updates will affect millions of Americans who rely on SNAP or food stamps. People have been using these to help them buy groceries and cover their essential food expenditures.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is responsible for SNAP distributions. It has recently issued a memo. This memo has the speculated changes in SNAP based on COLA 2026 adjustments.

Here are the important updates:

There is an increase in maximum benefit allotments. For a family of four living in the 48 neighboring states and D.C., the maximum monthly SNAP benefit is expected to rise to $1000 and for a family of 8, it could be up to $1800, according to a report.
There will be larger deductions which will help the families in turn as this will reduce the income counted towards eligibility. For the mainland US, the standard deduction of households of 1-3 members could be raised to $209 per month.
The maximum deductible shelter cost is used to determine a household’s net income. The upper limit for most areas could also increase to $744.
The minimum SNAP benefit for households can reportedly be raised to $24 per month. This will be applicable in the 48 states and D.C.

The main objective of these updates is to help beneficiaries keep up with inflation as housing, food, and other utility prices continue to rise.

Starting January 1, 2026 in Iowa, SNAP
benefits will no longer cover junk food 👏🏼🔥
More states need to follow!!! pic.twitter.com/nSrmh2iGCX
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) August 5, 2025

Those who belong to low-income households are most dependent on SNAP. Therefore, these changes will mostly affect these households. There are many families who are already availing maximum benefits, but they are still battling high food prices. These changes will be important to them. Individuals who live in high-cost areas will also observe the maximum benefits from these updates.

States that are outside the contiguous US will also have updated maximum allotments. For these places such as Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands the upper limit is usually higher than the other 48 due to higher living costs.

COLA adjustments help calculate the rate of inflation which then helps with updating SNAP details. With COLA, it would be difficult to understand if SNAP needs to be updated or not and by how much.

As prices for groceries, shelter, and utilities increase, recipients may find their purchasing power decreases. With 2026 updates, they can cover the lost purchasing grounds.

Those who receive SNAP benefits must know the following important points:

The new maximums, deduction rules, and eligibility standards are expected to take effect from October 1st, 2025.
If your household size or income has changed, read the policy details carefully. COLA updates can change your status.
Changes in upper limits might increase benefits received or eligibility. This is especially true for those who are already close to the upper limit.

SNAP’s FY 2026 COLA updates are an important step toward helping vulnerable Americans deal with inflation. While these changes won’t solve all poverty or food insecurity issues, they are a meaningful boost for millions who depend on SNAP to put food on their table.

Disclaimer: The figures are picked from secondary sources. We recommend our readers to wait for official updates.