Short answer
Why did my food stamps go down this month?
Your SNAP (food stamps) amount is the maximum for your household size minus 30 percent of your net income. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) So it can go down when your countable income goes up, when someone leaves your household, or when your shelter or utility deductions get smaller, often after a report or recertification. Your notice should say what changed. If you disagree, you may request a fair hearing within 90 days. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) Ask before the cut takes effect, within the period on your notice, and your benefits may continue at the old level while you wait. (7 CFR 273.15)
| Rule | What it means for your benefit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Benefit formula | Maximum for your household size minus 30 percent of net income | USDA FNA |
| Maximum benefit, 1 person | Estimated up to $306 a month | USDA FNA |
| Shelter deduction cap | $769, with no cap if someone is elderly or disabled | USDA FNA |
| Notice before a cut from a reported change | At least 10 days | 7 CFR 273.13 |
| Time to request a fair hearing | 90 days from the decision | USDA FNA |
| Benefits during an appeal | Continue at the old level if you ask within the notice period | 7 CFR 273.15 |
Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility (page updated October 01, 2026). Verified .
Your state SNAP agency decides eligibility and benefit amounts. Benefit Bull is free and never applies for you.
How is your SNAP amount figured?
SNAP starts from the maximum benefit for your household size and subtracts 30 percent of your net income. In USDA's words, your allotment is calculated by multiplying your household's net monthly income by 0.3, and subtracting the result from the maximum monthly allotment for your household size. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility)
| Household size | Maximum monthly benefit (estimated up to) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $306 |
| 2 | $562 |
| 3 | $808 |
| 4 | $1,023 |
USDA's own example: a 4-person household with $1,056.50 in net monthly income. Thirty percent of that, rounded up, is $317, so the estimated benefit for a full month is $1,023 minus $317, or $706. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) Eligible 1 and 2 person households get a minimum of an estimated $25 a month. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP COLA, FY 2027)
USDA adjusts the maximum benefits, deductions, and income limits at the start of each federal fiscal year, on Oct. 1, based on changes in the cost of living. The current figures apply from Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2027. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP COLA, FY 2027)
Every change that lowers your benefit runs through this formula: more countable income, a smaller household, or smaller deductions.
Did your income go up?
Because SNAP subtracts 30 percent of net income, a raise, more hours, or a new source of income can lower your benefit even when you still qualify. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) As an estimate, $100 more in net monthly income means about $30 less in SNAP.
Social Security counts here too. Social Security says benefits "will increase 3.6 percent in 2027," and increased SSI payments begin on December 31, 2026. (Social Security Administration, 2027 COLA) Federal SNAP rules treat cost of living raises in Social Security and SSI as mass changes: the state does not send a notice of adverse action for them, and the change is reflected no later than the second SNAP payment after the month the raise takes effect. (7 CFR 273.12)
Earnings get a break: SNAP deducts 20 percent of earned income before it figures net income. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility)
If your SNAP dropped in early 2027 and your only change was the Social Security raise, that is the likely reason. Compare the dates on your notices.
Did someone move out, or did your household change?
Everyone who lives together and buys and prepares meals together is one SNAP household. Spouses and most children under age 22 who live together are in the same household even if they buy and prepare meals separately. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility)
When someone leaves, the maximum benefit drops to the one for your new household size, for example from an estimated $808 for 3 people to an estimated $562 for 2. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) If the person who left had income or paid part of the costs, your net income and deductions may change too.
States set how you report changes. Under change reporting, households report changes within 10 days of learning about them. (7 CFR 273.12) Under simplified reporting, some households file a periodic report and must report when monthly gross income goes over the gross income limit for their household size. (7 CFR 273.12)
Check the household list on your notice. If it leaves out someone who still lives and eats with you, or lists someone who left, tell your SNAP office.
Did your shelter or utility costs change?
SNAP gives an excess shelter deduction for shelter costs that are more than half of your income after other deductions. Allowable costs include fuel to heat and cook with, electricity, water, the basic fee for one telephone, rent or mortgage payments and interest, and taxes on the home. The deduction is capped at $769 unless someone in the household is elderly or disabled. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility)
Some states use a standard utility allowance, a set amount, instead of your actual utility bills. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) (7 CFR 273.9) States may vary these standards by household size, area, or season, and must review them every year. (7 CFR 273.9) Federal rules list annual and seasonal changes to state utility standards as mass changes, so a lower allowance can reduce your SNAP without an individual notice of adverse action. (7 CFR 273.12)
Two changes in federal law (Public Law 119-21, enacted July 4, 2025) affect this deduction. Getting a home energy assistance payment, such as LIHEAP, now qualifies a household for the heating and cooling utility allowance only if the household has an elderly or disabled member. And internet service fees cannot be counted in the shelter deduction. (Public Law 119-21, sections 10103 and 10104) Ask your state SNAP agency how these rules apply to your case.
Moving to a place with lower rent, or no longer paying heating or cooling bills separately, can also lower the deduction and raise your countable income. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) (7 CFR 273.9)
Bring your lease and current utility bills to your next report or recertification, so your shelter costs are up to date.
Did you just recertify or turn in a report?
Your approval notice tells you how long your SNAP lasts; this is your certification period. Before it ends, you get a notice that you must recertify to keep getting benefits. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) Federal rules cap most certification periods at 12 months, with some exceptions. (7 CFR 273.10)
At recertification, or when you file a periodic report, the state updates your case with the information you report. If anything changed since your last review, your benefit can change too. (7 CFR 273.12)
If a change you reported lowers your benefit, the state must send a notice of adverse action within 10 days of the report. (7 CFR 273.12) That notice must give you at least 10 days before the cut takes effect. (7 CFR 273.13)
Keep a copy of every report and recertification form you turn in, with the date. It makes it easier to spot a mistake.
What can you do if you think the cut is wrong?
- Read your notice. It should say what changed. Compare its income, household members, and shelter and utility costs with your own records.
- Ask your state SNAP agency. Call or visit your local SNAP office and ask how your new amount was figured. Bring your notice and your own papers when you ask.
- Request a fair hearing. You must request a fair hearing within 90 days of the day your local SNAP office made the decision you disagree with. You can ask by phone, in writing, or in person at the local SNAP office. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) You can also ask for a hearing at any time during your certification period to dispute your current benefit level. (7 CFR 273.15)
- Ask in time to keep your benefits. If you request a fair hearing within the period given in the notice of adverse action, and your certification period has not ended, your benefits continue at the old level until the decision, unless you say you do not want that. If the hearing upholds the cut, the state may set up a claim for you to repay the extra benefits. (7 CFR 273.15)
A fair hearing cannot change the law, but it can make sure the decision on your case was made correctly. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility)
If you want your benefits to continue during an appeal, ask for the hearing before the date on your notice, and keep proof of when you asked.
What SNAP numbers matter when your benefit drops?
- 30%
- Share of net income subtracted from the maximum benefit
- $306
- Estimated maximum monthly benefit, 1 person, Oct. 1, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027
- 10 days
- Minimum notice before a cut from a reported change
- 90 days
- Time to request a fair hearing
See which food programs may fit your household, with estimated values and official links.
Sources: (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) (7 CFR 273.13)
What this adds up to
A lower SNAP amount almost always traces back to one of three numbers: income, household size, or deductions for shelter and utilities. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) Read your notice, check those numbers against your own papers, and ask your SNAP office how the amount was figured. If you still disagree, you may request a fair hearing within 90 days, and asking within the notice period may keep your benefits at the old level while you wait. (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility) (7 CFR 273.15) For ways to stretch a smaller benefit, see 10 ways to cut your grocery bill.
Sources
Every claim above links to the source it came from. Figures checked October 2026. Last updated October 21, 2026.
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Eligibility (page updated October 01, 2026) (accessed October 21, 2026)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Information, FY 2027 (page updated October 13, 2026) (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.9, Income and deductions (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.10, Determining household eligibility and benefit levels (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.12, Reporting requirements (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.13, Notice of adverse action (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 7 CFR 273.15, Fair hearings (accessed October 21, 2026)
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, Public Law 119-21 (July 4, 2025), sections 10103 and 10104 (accessed October 21, 2026)
- Social Security Administration, Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2027 (accessed October 21, 2026)
