The Texas SNAP benefits update for fiscal year 2026 raises maximum monthly allotments across every household size, keeps the state’s higher 165% gross income ceiling in place, and layers on two federal changes that tighten who qualifies: a higher ABAWD age limit for work requirements and a narrower list of non-citizen categories eligible to receive food benefits. A single person can now receive up to $298 per month, and the new rules run from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.
New FY2026 Maximum Monthly Allotments
The USDA recalculates SNAP amounts each October to track food prices. Every household size saw a modest bump for FY2026. These figures are the maximum; your actual benefit will be lower if you have countable income, because SNAP subtracts 30% of net income from the maximum to set your payment.1Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information
- 1 person: $298
- 2 people: $546
- 3 people: $785
- 4 people: $994
- 5 people: $1,183
- 6 people: $1,421
- 7 people: $1,571
- 8 people: $1,789
- Each additional person: add $218
Only households with zero net income after deductions receive the full maximum. The floor for one- and two-person households is $23 per month.2Food and Nutrition Service. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Fiscal Year 2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
Texas Income and Asset Limits
Texas uses broad-based categorical eligibility, which sets the gross monthly income ceiling at 165% of the federal poverty level. That’s higher than the standard federal cutoff of 130%, so more Texas households qualify here than in states without the broader rule. The FY2026 gross income limits:3Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Food Benefits
- 1 person: $2,152 per month
- 4 people: $4,421 per month
- 6 people: $5,934 per month
- 8 people: $7,446 per month
- Each additional person: add $757
Gross income is what your household brings in before deductions. Net income, used to calculate your actual benefit, is what remains after allowable deductions.
On assets, your household’s countable liquid resources plus any excess vehicle value must total $5,000 or less. This applies to all Texas SNAP households, regardless of age or disability. One vehicle is fully excluded up to $22,000 in fair market value. Cash, bank accounts, and the value of additional vehicles above that threshold count toward the $5,000 cap. Your home, personal belongings, and retirement accounts do not.4Food and Nutrition Service. Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE)
Deductions That Change Your Actual Benefit
The standard deduction for FY2026 runs from $209 per month for households of one to three people, up to $299 for households of six or more.2Food and Nutrition Service. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Fiscal Year 2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
If your housing costs (rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and utilities) exceed half your household income after other deductions, you can claim the excess as a shelter deduction. For households without an elderly or disabled member, that deduction is capped at $766 per month in FY2026. Households that include someone elderly or disabled have no cap, which can meaningfully lower net income and raise the benefit.
Elderly or disabled household members can also claim out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as prescription costs, co-pays, and transportation to appointments. Only the portion above $35 per month counts toward the deduction.5Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Medical Expenses Handbook
Work Requirements: The Age Limit Is Now 54
Adults ages 18 through 54 who are able to work and have no dependents (ABAWDs) can receive SNAP for only three months within a three-year period unless they work or participate in a qualifying work program for at least 80 hours per month. The 80 hours can be paid employment, volunteer work, job training, or a mix.6Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
The age ceiling used to be 49. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 raised it in steps: first to 50, then 52, and finally 54 as of October 1, 2024. The higher limit stays in effect through September 30, 2030, when the provision sunsets.7Federal Register. Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act
If you hit the three-month limit without meeting the requirement, benefits stop. To regain eligibility you must work or participate in a qualifying program for a full 30-day period, or wait until the end of your three-year window for another three months.
Exemptions Removed in 2025
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 had created ABAWD exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth age 24 or younger. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 eliminated those exemptions. USDA is still releasing detailed guidance on how the changes are being implemented, and the FNS work requirements page notes that updated exception and waiver criteria will be published as they become available.6Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
Other exemptions remain in federal law. You are not subject to the ABAWD time limit if you are under 18 or over 65, medically certified as physically or mentally unable to work, pregnant, responsible for a dependent child under 14, or a member of certain federally recognized tribes.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2015 – Eligibility Disqualifications
Texas runs a voluntary SNAP Employment and Training program that can help you meet the requirement while building job skills. Participants may receive reimbursements for transportation, childcare, testing fees, books, and supplies. If you’re struggling to reach 80 hours of monthly activity, ask your local Texas Health and Human Services office about E&T options.
Who Among Non-Citizens Still Qualifies
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 narrowed non-citizen eligibility significantly. SNAP is now limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), certain Cuban and Haitian entrants, and citizens of countries with Compact of Free Association agreements (such as the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau).
Groups that were previously eligible lost access unless they adjust their status to lawful permanent resident. That includes refugees, people granted asylum or withholding of removal, VAWA self-petitioners, trafficking survivors, certain parolees, and several other humanitarian categories. Those who become LPRs generally face a five-year waiting period before qualifying, though exceptions remain for LPRs under 18 and those with 40 qualifying work quarters. Undocumented immigrants have never been eligible for SNAP.
Implementation is still unfolding. If your immigration status falls into one of the newly affected categories, contact your local Texas HHS office to see how it is being treated under the current rules.
Keeping Benefits Active Under the New Rules
Reporting Changes
When income, household composition, or housing costs change, report it to Texas Health and Human Services on Form H1019 (Report of Change), not a full application. You can complete it yourself or have HHSC staff fill it out when you report by phone or in person.9Texas Health and Human Services. Form H1019 Report of Change
Include the effective date and expected duration of the change. For income changes, gather current pay stubs for every working household member. For a new household member, you’ll need their Social Security number and date of birth. Shelter changes should be documented with a new lease, mortgage statement, or utility bills. For elderly or disabled members, keep records of monthly medical expenses above $35, since those qualify for the deduction.
Recertification
SNAP is approved for a set certification period, typically 6 or 12 months. Before it ends, you’ll receive a renewal form (Form H1010-R) and must complete a redetermination interview. Miss the last business day of your certification period without completing that interview and your benefits are denied.10Texas Health and Human Services. B-120 Redeterminations
Missing the deadline doesn’t permanently close your case. You get an additional 30 days after the last benefit month to complete the interview or submit missing information. If you do, benefits restart, but they’re prorated from the date you contact the agency or submit documents, not backdated to when they lapsed. Every day you wait shrinks that month’s payment.
If a Decision Goes Against You
If Texas HHS reduces, denies, or terminates your SNAP benefits and you disagree, you can request a fair hearing. You have 90 days from the date of the denial or adverse action notice to file the appeal, in person, by phone, by fax, or by mail. Instructions come on the notice itself; you can also call 2-1-1 for help.11Texas Health and Human Services. FFHH Frequently Asked Questions – Client
Depending on the program and when you file, you may be able to keep receiving benefits at the previous level while the hearing is pending. If the hearing officer upholds the agency’s decision, you could be required to repay those continued benefits. That’s a real risk, but for many households the alternative of going months without help while waiting is worse.