SNAP & Food Assistance

A federal judge blocked SNAP purchase restrictions on soda, energy drinks, and candy in five states on June 23, 2026 — including Tennessee, where a ban was scheduled to take effect July 31. If you’re a SNAP recipient in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, or West Virginia, those specific restrictions are currently on hold, not in […]

The WIC program’s new income eligibility guidelines took effect July 1, 2026, and the program remains fully funded through September 30, 2026 after Congress protected its cash-value fruit and vegetable benefit in a November 2025 spending deal. New Income Guidelines Effective July 1 State health departments began applying updated WIC income guidelines on July 1, […]

Florida became the first state to bar SNAP recipients from buying soda, energy drinks, candy, and ultra-processed shelf-stable desserts with food benefits, under a federal waiver that took effect April 20, 2026. What the Waiver Restricts Under Florida’s approved SNAP waiver, benefits can no longer be used to buy a defined list of items: soda, […]

SNAP work requirements now apply to adults up to age 64, not just 55, after a federal rule change took effect June 1, 2026. Older adults who were previously exempt must now log qualifying work activity or risk losing food assistance. What Changed on June 1 Before this year, SNAP’s "able-bodied adults without dependents" (ABAWD) […]

New York has already delivered $189 million in summer food assistance to nearly 1.6 million children across the state — money meant to fill the gap left when school meals stop for summer break. What Summer EBT actually pays The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program gives eligible families $120 per child specifically to purchase food […]

Missouri could owe the federal government roughly $150 million starting in 2027 — not because of a new tax or a budget cut, but because of how accurately the state pays out food assistance benefits. The number behind the number Missouri’s SNAP payment error rate for federal fiscal year 2025 came in at 8.67%. That’s […]

The USDA’s newly released FY 2025 error rate report shows states paid out $10.1 billion in incorrect SNAP benefits last year — and starting in 2027, states will have to start covering part of that bill themselves. The national number: 10.62% The national SNAP payment error rate for fiscal year 2025 came in at 10.62%, […]

Starting in fiscal year 2028, states with high SNAP payment error rates will have to start covering part of their food assistance benefit costs for the first time in the program’s 50-plus-year history. According to Brookings’ analysis of USDA’s newly released FY2025 error rate data, 35 states will owe between 5% and 15% of SNAP […]

Missouri Could Owe $150 Million for SNAP Errors Starting in 2027 — Here’s Why Missouri will have to cover 10% of its federal food-assistance costs — roughly $150 million — starting in 2027 unless it lowers its SNAP payment error rate below 6%. The state’s error rate has been improving, but it’s still well above […]

Oregon’s SNAP Error Rate Is High Enough to Trigger New Federal Penalties — Here’s What That Means Oregon is one of dozens of states facing a new federal rule that ties SNAP funding to payment accuracy. States with high error rates will eventually have to cover part of the cost of food benefits themselves, though […]