Glossary
Maximum allotment (SNAP)
The largest SNAP benefit a household of a given size can receive — what a household with zero net income gets.
USDA sets maximum allotments each October based on the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan. For FY2027 (October 2026–September 2027) they are $306 for one person, $562 for two, $808 for three, and $1,023 for four in the 48 contiguous states.
A household's actual benefit is the maximum allotment minus 30% of its net income.