SNAP payments: When will you receive December benefits? From Alaska to Wisconsin, key details here
SNAP benefits will return to regular schedules in December after a 43-day government shutdown disrupted payments for over a month.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will return to their regular payment schedules in December following a period of over a month marked by disruption due to the government shutdown.
Each month, SNAP payments offer food assistance to approximately 42 million Americans who are low-income or have no income.
The 43-day shutdown created uncertainty for millions of SNAP recipients regarding the timely receipt of their benefits. After the administration announced that payments for November would not be distributed, the program became embroiled in legal disputes and contradictory court decisions.
SNAP benefits in December
Consequently, states provided benefits in an inconsistent manner—some issuing full payments, others providing partial payments, and some not issuing any payments at all.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a funding bill that concluded the shutdown and permitted the resumption of SNAP payments. Earlier that day, the House had approved the bill after it was passed by the Senate on Monday.
How to get December SNAP benefits?
With the approval of government funding, SNAP benefits for December will be disbursed in compliance with the regular schedules established in each state.
Recipients receive their benefits through electronic benefit transfer cards, which function similarly to debit cards. These cards are replenished with funds each month and can be utilised at participating retailers nationwide.
The timing of when a recipient obtains their monthly SNAP benefits is contingent upon the state or territory of residence.
Different states adhere to various schedules for the distribution of SNAP benefits. For instance, California determines payment dates based on case numbers, whereas states like Connecticut and Delaware utilize the initial letter of a recipient's last name. In contrast, smaller states such as Alaska and South Dakota typically issue all benefits on a single day.
The payment deadlines for each state are as follows:
Alabama: December 4 to 23
Alaska: December 1
Arizona: December 1 to 13
Arkansas: December 4 to 13
California: December 1 to 10
Colorado: December 1 to 10
Connecticut: December 1 to 3
Delaware: December 2 to 23
District of Columbia: December 1 to 10
Florida: December 1 to 28
Georgia: December 5 to 23
Guam: December 1 to 10
Hawaii: December 3 to 5
Idaho: December 1 to 10
Illinois: December 1 to 20
Indiana: December 5 to 23
Iowa: December 1 to 10
Kansas: December 1 to 10
Kentucky: December 1 to 19
Louisiana: December 1 to 23
Maine: December 10 to 14
Maryland: December 4 to 23
Massachusetts: December 1 to 14
Michigan: December 3 to 21
Minnesota: December 4 to 13
Mississippi: December 4 to 21
Missouri: December 1 to 22
Montana: December 2 to 6
Nebraska: December 1 to 5
Nevada: December 1 to 10
New Hampshire: December 5
New Jersey: December 1 to 5
New Mexico: December 1 to 20
New York: December 1 to 9
North Carolina: December 3 to 21
North Dakota: December 1
Ohio: December 2 to 20
Oklahoma: December 1 to 10
Oregon: December 1 to 9
Pennsylvania: December 3 to 14
Puerto Rico: December 4 to December 22
Rhode Island: December 1
South Carolina: December 1 to 19
South Dakota: December 10
Tennessee: December 1 to 20
Texas: December 1 to 28
Utah: December 5, 11 and 15
Virgin Islands: December 1
Vermont: December 1
Virginia: December 1 to 7
Washington: December 1 to 20
West Virginia: December 1 to 9
Wisconsin: December 1 to 15
Wyoming: December 1 to 4
